(321802) Malaspina Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 September 1977 by E. Colombini at Palomar.
Alessandro Malaspina (1754–1810) was an Italian navigator. He explored the Pacific Ocean during 1789–1794 in the service of Spain, visiting Chile, Alaska, the Philippines, New Zealand and Australia. He was unjustly sentenced to eight years in prison upon his return and could not publish the report of his journey, which was mostly forgotten for a century.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #13, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Malaspina is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Malaspina is 2.43 au from the Sun and 1.61 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 321802 |
| Provisional designation | 2010 PA71 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.25 km (#10,148 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0580 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.39 |
| Orbital period | 5.44 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.09 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.42 – 3.76 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.217 |
| Inclination | 24.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.54 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Alessandro
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All asteroids named after someone called Alessandro