(70781) Donnelly Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 1 November 1999 by CSS at Catalina.
Michael Donnelly (b. 1961) is the Project Manager for the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. Prior to serving in this role, he was the First Servicing Mission Systems Manager for the Hubble Space Telescope, the AQUA Spacecraft Manager, and the GOES-R Project Manager.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2015-03-05), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Donnelly is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Donnelly is 2.47 au from the Sun and 3.17 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 70781 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 VR43 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.63 |
| Orbital period | 4.30 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.64 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.30 – 2.99 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.131 |
| Inclination | 3.21° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.32 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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