(16740) Kipthorne Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 22 May 1996 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Kip S. Thorne (b. 1940) is an astrophysicist working principally in the field of gravitation physics. The youngest full professor in the history of the California Institute of Technology, he was coauthor of the famous book, Gravitation (1973), with John Wheeler and Charles Mismer.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-05-29), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kipthorne is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kipthorne is 2.40 au from the Sun and 3.03 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 16740 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 KT8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.01 km (#15,181 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.256 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.72 |
| Orbital period | 3.47 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.29 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.96 – 2.62 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.145 |
| Inclination | 5.70° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.946 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.