(21502) Cruz Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 May 1998 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.
Jose Cruz (b. 1946), operations group head and telescope operator at the Arecibo Observatory, has played a key role in numerous radar experiments on minor planets since the 1970s.Naming citation (20080718/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
👶 Cruz as a baby name🐶 Cruz as a dog name
Where Cruz is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cruz is 2.91 au from the Sun and 3.70 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 21502 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 KB9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.17 km (#14,771 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.367 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.66 |
| Orbital period | 4.20 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.60 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.29 – 2.92 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.122 |
| Inclination | 3.69° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.27 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Jose
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- (3970) Herran
- (4436) Ortizmoreno
- (5929) Manzano
- (6109) Balseiro
- (9018) Galache
- (10523) D'Haveloose
- (10690) Massera
- (10803) Caleyo
- (12990) Josetillard
- (13476) Pepesales
- (14918) Gonzalezalegre
All asteroids named after someone called Jose