(5099) Iainbanks Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 16 February 1985 by H. Debehogne at La Silla.
Iain M. Banks (1954-2013) was a Scottish writer best known for the Culture series of science fiction novels; he also wrote fiction as Iain Banks. An evangelical atheist and lover of whisky, he scorned social media and enjoyed writing music. He was an extra in Monty Python & The Holy Grail.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2013-07-22), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Iainbanks is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Iainbanks is 2.37 au from the Sun and 1.44 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5099 |
| Provisional designation | 1985 DY1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.18 km (#8,666 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.243 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.31 |
| Orbital period | 3.92 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.48 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.36 – 2.61 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0514 |
| Inclination | 1.18° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.35 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.