(4920) Gromov Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 8 August 1978 by N. S. Chernykh at Nauchnyj.
Named in memory of Mikhail Mikhajlovich Gromov (1899-1985), well-known Russian pilot who set the world record for long-distance flight in 1934 when his aircraft flew more than 12 000 kilometers. In 1937, together with A. Yumashev and S. Danilin, he completed a nonstop flight from Moscow, over the North Pole, to the United States. He was the first Russian pilot to win the de Lawo medal of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. Gromov also tested a great number of new aircraft. He was the founder of the State Research Center of Russia “Flying Research Institute”, now named for him.Naming citation (19990402/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Gromov is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Gromov is 2.67 au from the Sun and 2.56 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 4920 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 PY2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.16 |
| Orbital period | 4.41 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.69 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.46 – 2.92 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0868 |
| Inclination | 2.43° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.46 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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