(10445) Coster Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
With de Hevesy, Dutch physicist Dirk Coster (1889-1950) discovered the metallic element 72 hafnium, which closely resembles 40 zirconium in that it is resistant to high temperatures. The name was suggested by W. A. Fröger.Naming citation (20010705/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Coster is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Coster is 2.16 au from the Sun and 3.13 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 10445 |
| Provisional designation | 4090 T-2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.09 km (#14,987 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.322 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.79 |
| Orbital period | 3.89 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.47 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.10 – 2.85 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.151 |
| Inclination | 3.80° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.08 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Dirk
All asteroids named after someone called Dirk
Also discovered on 29 September 1973
- (2049) Grietje
- (4357) Korinthos
- (4549) Burkhardt
- (4721) Atahualpa
- (4752) Myron
- (4876) Strabo
- (4978) Seitz
- (5151) Weerstra
- (5197) Rottmann
- (5243) Clasien
- (5244) Amphilochos
- (5266) Rauch