(273262) Cottam Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 25 May 2006 by P. A. Wiegert at Mauna Kea.
Michael Gordon Cottam (b. 1945) is an English-Canadian physicist known for his work on the quantum theory of condensed matter systems, particularly in low dimensions and in nanostructures. His expertise includes the excitations or waves that can propagate in these systems and their nonlinear dynamics.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2013-08-21), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Cottam is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cottam is 3.12 au from the Sun and 3.27 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 273262 |
| Provisional designation | 2006 KJ142 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.8 |
| Orbital period | 5.60 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.15 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 3.08 – 3.23 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0232 |
| Inclination | 8.94° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 2.09 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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