(251633) Kivelson Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 21 May 2010 by WISE at WISE.
Margaret Kivelson (b. 1928) is an American professor of planetary science and space physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is an expert in the magnetospheric and internal properties of planets and moons. Among her many accomplishments, Margaret provided compelling evidence for a subsurface ocean on Jupiter’s moon Europa.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #14, 8), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kivelson is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kivelson is 3.00 au from the Sun and 3.72 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 251633 |
| Provisional designation | 2010 KP45 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.79 km (#13,252 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0370 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.59 |
| Orbital period | 4.62 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.77 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.55 – 3.00 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0827 |
| Inclination | 4.63° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.53 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Margaret
- (8353) Megryan
- (8632) Egleston
- (10739) Lowman
- (12317) Madicampbell
- (22038) Margarshain
- (22725) Drabble
- (37159) Margaretmead
- (46270) Margaretlandis
- (49777) Cappi
- (50725) Margarethuggins
- (70030) Margaretmiller
- (117385) Maughan
All asteroids named after someone called Margaret