(4987) Flamsteed Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 20 March 1980 by Perth Observatory at Bickley.
John Flamsteed (1646-1719), the first Astronomer Royal, is renowned for his systematic telescopic positional observations of the sun, moon, planets and stars, culminating in Historia Coelestis Britannica (1725), containing his catalogue of 3000 stars, and Atlas Coelestis (1729), celestial charts completed by his widow.Naming citation (20010902/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Flamsteed is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Flamsteed is 2.42 au from the Sun and 1.69 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 4987 |
| Provisional designation | 1980 FH12 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.64 km (#9,499 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.185 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.16 |
| Orbital period | 3.42 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.27 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.12 – 2.42 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0651 |
| Inclination | 7.58° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.13 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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