(7371) El-Baz Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Palomar.
Farouk El-Baz (b. 1938) is an Egyptian-American remote sensing expert. He is perhaps best known for using his expertise to help select the landing site for the Apollo 11 astronauts. He also trained the Apollo 15 astronauts in geology, ensuring that the most scientifically useful samples were gathered for return to Earth.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #9, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where El-Baz is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: El-Baz is 3.41 au from the Sun and 4.13 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7371 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 VA6 |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 9.22 km (#5,601 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0740 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.86 |
| Orbital period | 5.85 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.25 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.85 – 3.64 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.121 |
| Inclination | 2.01° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.84 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 7 November 1978
- (2324) Janice
- (2440) Educatio
- (2499) Brunk
- (2611) Boyce
- (2725) David Bender
- (2925) Beatty
- (3240) Laocoon
- (3449) Abell
- (3651) Friedman
- (3718) Dunbar
- (3926) Ramirez
- (4012) Geballe