(10373) MacRobert Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 14 March 1996 by D. di Cicco at Sudbury.

For two decades the versatile writing of Alan MacRobert (b. 1951) has introduced Sky & Telescope readers to everything from the joys of simple stargazing to the complex worlds of astrophysics and cosmology. Many of his guided sky tours are collected in Star-Hopping for Backyard Astronomers.Naming citation (20030501/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where MacRobert is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: MacRobert is 2.13 au from the Sun and 1.20 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	10373
Provisional designation	1996 ER
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	2.71 km (#15,833 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.220
Rotation period	9.42 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)	15.26
Orbital period	3.20 years
Semi-major axis	2.17 au
Perihelion – aphelion	1.91 – 2.44 au
Eccentricity	0.121
Inclination	4.73°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	0.898 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Alan

All asteroids named after someone called Alan

Also discovered on 14 March 1996

(9429) Porec

More named asteroids discovered by D. di Cicco

All 16

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