(811540) Ernstsalpeter Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 18 November 2014 by Cernis, K., Boyle, R. P. at Mount Graham.
Ernst Salpeter, S.J. (1912–1976), an Austrian Jesuit, served at the Specola Vaticana from 1948. He was an expert in spectroscopy, helping produce major spectral atlases and pioneering effective line-width photometry. Ernst also cared for the meteorite collection.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #2, 14), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ernstsalpeter is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ernstsalpeter is 2.99 au from the Sun and 3.57 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 811540 |
| Provisional designation | 2023 WA29 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.56 |
| Orbital period | 4.81 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.85 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.57 – 3.14 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0996 |
| Inclination | 4.87° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.58 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Ernst
- (3949) Mach
- (5053) Chladni
- (11042) Ernstweber
- (11043) Pepping
- (12323) Haeckel
- (13086) Sauerbruch
- (14990) Zermelo
- (16441) Kirchner
- (16714) Arndt
- (20016) Rietschel
- (25628) Kummer
- (112328) Klinkerfues
All asteroids named after someone called Ernst