(21397) Leontovich Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 20 March 1998 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Alexander Leontovich (b. 1963), a 2003 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Excellence in Teaching Award finalist, is a teacher at the Moscow State Educational Center of Creativity of the Young, Lyceum No. 1553, Moscow, Russia.Naming citation (20041226/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Leontovich is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Leontovich is 2.58 au from the Sun and 3.48 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 21397 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 FJ54 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.07 km (#16,958 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.494 |
| Rotation period | 5.84 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.06 |
| Orbital period | 3.50 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.30 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.01 – 2.60 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.128 |
| Inclination | 6.86° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.02 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Alexander
- (1688) Wilkens
- (4837) Bickerton
- (6941) Dalgarno
- (7660) Alexanderwilson
- (8479) Held
- (8486) Asherschel
- (8795) Dudorov
- (11781) Alexroberts
- (15434) Mittal
- (15608) Owens
- (17073) Alexblank
- (21461) Alexchernyak
All asteroids named after someone called Alexander
Also discovered on 20 March 1998
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- (8745) Delaney
- (8954) Baral
- (9126) Samcoulson
- (9243) Alag
- (9454) Ardeishar
- (11169) Alkon
- (11170) Bradenmilford
- (11173) Jayanderson
- (11174) Carandrews
- (11176) Batth
- (11685) Adamcurry