(231040) Kakaras Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 10 March 2005 by Cernis, K., Zdanavicius, J. at Moletai.
Gunaras Kakaras (b. 1939) is a Lithuanian astronomer and one of the most skilled Lithuanian popularizers of astronomy. He is an expert on stellar photometry of binary stars and he wrote several popular books and many popular papers. He established the Lithuanian Museum of Ethnocosmology in 1990.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-09-25), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kakaras is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kakaras is 3.07 au from the Sun and 3.49 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 231040 |
| Provisional designation | 2005 EX282 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.05 km (#8,859 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0400 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.43 |
| Orbital period | 5.58 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.15 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 3.03 – 3.26 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0376 |
| Inclination | 16.0° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 2.08 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 10 March 2005
- (117657) Jamieelsila
- (129154) Georgesondecker
- (184315) Denisbogan
- (299134) Moggicecchi
- (612946) Zirmunai