(18239) Ekers Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Ronald Ekers, current president of the IAU and ex-director of the Australian Telescope National Facility and of the Very Large Array, is well known for his contributions to radio astronomy and his innovative exploitation of radio techniques to study galaxies.Naming citation (20031110/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ekers is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ekers is 3.51 au from the Sun and 3.33 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 18239 |
| Provisional designation | 1251 T-2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 10.3 km (#4,951 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0610 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.68 |
| Orbital period | 5.43 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.09 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.62 – 3.56 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.152 |
| Inclination | 1.26° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.64 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Ronald
- (2285) Ron Helin
- (3579) Rockholt
- (6949) Zissell
- (9852) Gora
- (9923) Ronaldthiel
- (10508) Haughey
- (11724) Ronaldhsu
- (13497) Ronstone
- (16813) Ronmastaler
- (17853) Ronaldsayer
- (20465) Vervack
- (21451) Fisher
All asteroids named after someone called Ronald
Also discovered on 29 September 1973
- (2049) Grietje
- (4357) Korinthos
- (4549) Burkhardt
- (4721) Atahualpa
- (4752) Myron
- (4876) Strabo
- (4978) Seitz
- (5151) Weerstra
- (5197) Rottmann
- (5243) Clasien
- (5244) Amphilochos
- (5266) Rauch