(6318) Cronkite Mars-crossing Asteroid

Discovered on 18 November 1990 by E. F. Helin at Palomar.

Named in honor of Walter Cronkite (b. 1916), whose integrity and unflappable character during his 60-year career in radio and television journalism have won him the acclaim and trust of his colleagues and the American public alike. Cronkite worked for the United Press during World War II, taking part in the Normandy beachhead assaults and flying in B-17 raids. In 1950 he joined CBS News, becoming anchor of the then-15-minute-long CBS Evening News in 1962. The following year this became U.S. network television's first half-hour weeknight news broadcast, marking the debut of the new format with Cronkite's interview of President Kennedy. Since retiring as news anchor in the early 1980s, Cronkite has produced and narrated dozens of award-winning programs.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #12, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Cronkite is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cronkite is 1.36 au from the Sun and 1.33 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	6318
Provisional designation	1990 WA
Orbit class	Mars-crossing Asteroid
Diameter	1.40 km (#17,372 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.504
Absolute magnitude (H)	15.81
Orbital period	3.99 years
Semi-major axis	2.52 au
Perihelion – aphelion	1.36 – 3.68 au
Eccentricity	0.461
Inclination	25.8°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	0.377 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Walter

All asteroids named after someone called Walter

Also discovered on 18 November 1990

More named asteroids discovered by E. F. Helin

All 267

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