(13439) Frankiethomas Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Actor Frankie Thomas (1921–2006) played cadet Tom Corbett in the 1950s TV series Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. He was a fine role model for all children watching the show and believed that science was good and improved the quality of our lives. He had many movie credits before Tom Corbett.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #12, 9), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Frankiethomas is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Frankiethomas is 2.62 au from the Sun and 2.50 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 13439 |
| Provisional designation | 2072 P-L |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.0 |
| Orbital period | 3.51 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.31 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.97 – 2.65 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.146 |
| Inclination | 6.64° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.00 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 24 September 1960
- (1743) Schmidt
- (1744) Harriet
- (1776) Kuiper
- (1777) Gehrels
- (1795) Woltjer
- (1808) Bellerophon
- (1809) Prometheus
- (1810) Epimetheus
- (1811) Bruwer
- (1812) Gilgamesh
- (1846) Bengt
- (1868) Thersites