(5396) Kathleenhowell Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 20 September 1988 by H. Debehogne at La Silla.
American aerospace engineer Kathleen C. Howell (b. 1951) is a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. She has been instrumental in advancing dynamical systems theory and invariant manifolds, culminating in trajectory optimization. Her pioneering work on the three-body problem has led to the use of halo orbits in several missions.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #15, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kathleenhowell is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kathleenhowell is 2.12 au from the Sun and 2.44 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5396 |
| Provisional designation | 1988 SH1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 8.49 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.85 |
| Orbital period | 3.71 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.40 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.00 – 2.80 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.167 |
| Inclination | 4.67° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.01 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Kathleen
- (12525) Kathleenloia
- (12585) Katschwarz
- (14115) Melaas
- (14250) Kathleenmartin
- (17792) Kathconnelly
- (18697) Kathanson
- (22596) Kathwallace
- (28527) Kathleenrose
- (33990) Kathleenmcbride
- (209075) Kathleenharmon
- (333184) Craft
All asteroids named after someone called Kathleen