(6478) Gault Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 12 May 1988 by Shoemaker, C. S., Shoemaker, E. M. at Palomar.
Named in memory of Donald Gault (1923-1999), a giant in the field of impact cratering processes. Gault applied his understanding and insight as an experimentalist to interpreting impact data and its application to the moon, the earth, Mars and Mercury. His work is at the heart of the most basic of all processes concerned with solid bodies in the solar system. It is the “rock” upon which others tried to build.Naming citation (19990728/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Gault is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Gault is 1.92 au from the Sun and 2.80 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6478 |
| Provisional designation | 1988 JC1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 2.49 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.4 |
| Orbital period | 3.50 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.31 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.86 – 2.75 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.193 |
| Inclination | 22.8° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.993 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Donald
- (2956) Yeomans
- (4794) Bogard
- (6107) Osterbrock
- (6688) Donmccarthy
- (8875) Fernie
- (9122) Hunten
- (9177) Donsaari
- (9295) Donaldyoung
- (9448) Donaldavies
- (11267) Donaldkessler
- (11419) Donjohnson
- (12410) Donald Duck
All asteroids named after someone called Donald