(19140) Jansmit Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 September 1989 by Shoemaker, C. S., Shoemaker, E. M. at Palomar.
Jan Smit (b. 1948) has made important contributions to geology and paleontology by establishing the sequence of impact-generated events that occurred 65 million years ago, including ejecta fallout, tsunami propagation, geochemical disturbances and extinction of foraminifera and dinosaurs.Naming citation (20020526/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Jansmit is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Jansmit is 2.88 au from the Sun and 3.82 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 19140 |
| Provisional designation | 1989 RJ2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.96 km (#12,844 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.258 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.2 |
| Orbital period | 3.54 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.32 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.73 – 2.92 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.255 |
| Inclination | 21.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.795 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Jan
- (2308) Schilt
- (3791) Marci
- (3847) Sindel
- (6266) Letzel
- (6834) Hunfeld
- (7218) Skacel
- (7221) Sallaba
- (7701) Zrzavy
- (7849) Janjosefric
- (8149) Ruff
- (9239) van Riebeeck
- (9259) Janvanparadijs
All asteroids named after someone called Jan