(21530) Despiau Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 26 June 1998 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.
Norberto Despiau (b. 1948), staff technician 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
Where Despiau is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Despiau is 2.87 au from the Sun and 2.10 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 21530 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 MB38 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 3.01 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.27 |
| Orbital period | 4.50 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.73 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.56 – 2.89 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0596 |
| Inclination | 10.8° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.56 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 26 June 1998
- (13244) Dannymeyer
- (13700) Connors
- (21523) GONG
- (21529) Johnjames
- (23774) Herbelliott
- (46824) Tambora
- (48909) Laurake
- (69754) Mosesmendel
- (100936) Mekong