(20353) Gianotto Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 19 April 1998 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Francesco Gianotto (b. 1994) is an Italian aerospace engineer working at ESA’s Planetary Defence Office. His work focuses on orbit determination and impact monitoring of near-Earth asteroids, and he is a developer of ESA’s Meerkat software for detecting imminent impactors.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #11, 15), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Gianotto is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Gianotto is 2.51 au from the Sun and 3.48 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20353 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 HD129 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.64 km (#13,607 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.176 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.9 |
| Orbital period | 4.03 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.53 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.09 – 2.97 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.174 |
| Inclination | 12.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.10 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Francesco
- (6892) Lana
- (7640) Marzari
- (7918) Berrilli
- (8266) Bertelli
- (9934) Caccioppoli
- (10875) Veracini
- (12722) Petrarca
- (15460) Manca
- (18102) Angrilli
- (18583) Francescopedani
- (20103) de Vico
- (20752) Topputo
All asteroids named after someone called Francesco
Also discovered on 19 April 1998
- (17848) Mordechai
- (20352) Pinakibose
- (21482) Patashnick
- (21483) Abdulrasool
- (21484) Eppard
- (22603) Davidoconnor
- (23735) Cohen
- (31336) Chenyuhsin
- (33282) Arjunramani
- (42665) Kristinblock
- (136922) Brianbauer