(11771) Maestlin Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Michael Maestlin (1550-1631), professor of astronomy at Tübingen, was an influential teacher of Johannes Kepler and one of the earliest adherents to Copernicanism. Maestlin also made astrometric measurements of comets in 1577 and 1580. The name was suggested by the object's identifier, D. W. E. Green.Naming citation (20020328/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Maestlin is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Maestlin is 3.26 au from the Sun and 4.26 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 11771 |
| Provisional designation | 4136 T-2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.60 km (#7,005 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0840 |
| Rotation period | 4.10 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.22 |
| Orbital period | 4.97 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.91 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.28 – 3.55 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.217 |
| Inclination | 7.51° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.28 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Michael
- (3192) A'Hearn
- (4477) Kelley
- (4599) Rowan
- (5373) Michaelkurtz
- (5554) Keesey
- (5569) Colby
- (6406) Mikejura
- (6569) Ondaatje
- (7738) Heyman
- (7936) Mikemagee
- (8032) Michaeladams
- (8129) Michaelbusch
All asteroids named after someone called Michael
Also discovered on 29 September 1973
- (2049) Grietje
- (4357) Korinthos
- (4549) Burkhardt
- (4721) Atahualpa
- (4752) Myron
- (4876) Strabo
- (4978) Seitz
- (5151) Weerstra
- (5197) Rottmann
- (5243) Clasien
- (5244) Amphilochos
- (5266) Rauch