(15939) Fessenden Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 December 1997 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (1866-1932) invented amplitude modulation as a means of transmitting sounds by radio. He was a professor at Purdue University and the University of Pittsburgh. The name was suggested by K. Ellis.Naming citation (20050523/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Fessenden is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Fessenden is 3.07 au from the Sun and 3.70 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 15939 |
| Provisional designation | 1997 YP8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 12.1 km (#4,044 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.159 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.46 |
| Orbital period | 5.69 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.19 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.83 – 3.55 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.113 |
| Inclination | 13.1° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.85 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Reginald
All asteroids named after someone called Reginald