(5309) MacPherson Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
Glenn MacPherson (b. 1950), curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, has studied chondrules and Ca-Al-rich inclusions to investigate the nebular processes that formed chondritic meteorites. His work on short-lived isotopes has helped constrain the timing of these processes.Naming citation (20020624/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where MacPherson is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: MacPherson is 1.94 au from the Sun and 0.988 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5309 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 ED25 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.5 |
| Orbital period | 3.38 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.25 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.72 – 2.78 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.235 |
| Inclination | 4.04° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.715 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Glenn
- (11831) Chaple
- (12936) Glennschneider
- (29565) Glenngould
- (31679) Glenngrimmett
- (192626) Glennunderhill
- (378370) Orton
- (380480) Glennhawley
- (416273) Glennsnyder
All asteroids named after someone called Glenn
Also discovered on 2 March 1981
- (2884) Reddish
- (2919) Dali
- (2980) Cameron
- (2981) Chagall
- (2990) Trimberger
- (3000) Leonardo
- (3121) Tamines
- (3122) Florence
- (3207) Spinrad
- (3252) Johnny
- (3304) Pearce
- (3524) Schulz