(6941) Dalgarno Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 16 December 1976 by Harvard Observatory at Harvard.

Named in honor of Alexander Dalgarno (b. 1928), on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Renowned for his seminal research on collisions and radiative processes involving atoms, molecules, ions and electrons, Dalgarno has led the exploration of atomic and molecular phenomena occurring in the interstellar medium, planetary and cometary atmospheres, supernova ejecta, the early universe and the terrestrial thermosphere. Due to his intellectual leadership, the Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics was established at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He served as director of the Institute for five years and as acting director of the Harvard College Observatory for three years.Naming citation (19980808/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Dalgarno is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Dalgarno is 2.95 au from the Sun and 2.65 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	6941
Provisional designation	1976 YA
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	8.06 km (#6,513 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.272
Rotation period	12.2 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.64
Orbital period	4.64 years
Semi-major axis	2.78 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.25 – 3.31 au
Eccentricity	0.192
Inclination	15.4°
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 Alexander

All asteroids named after someone called Alexander

Also discovered on 16 December 1976

More named asteroids discovered by Harvard Observatory

All 48

← (6939) Lestone · (6942) Yurigulyaev →