(31203) Hersman Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 January 1998 by M. W. Buie at Anderson Mesa.
Chris Becker Hersman (b. 1964) is the spacecraft systems engineer of the New Horizons Pluto Kuiper Belt mission. In this role he is making a fundamental contribution to the exploration of the solar system.Naming citation (20040713/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Hersman is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Hersman is 2.70 au from the Sun and 1.73 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 31203 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 AO9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.75 km (#13,338 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.199 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.83 |
| Orbital period | 4.99 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.92 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.68 – 3.16 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0819 |
| Inclination | 2.64° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.68 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Chris
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All asteroids named after someone called Chris