(7100) Martin Luther Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Named in memory of Martin Luther (1483-1546), German theologian and religious reformer. After studying law, he became an Augustinian monk and priest in 1507 and a professor of biblical exegesis in Wittenberg in 1508. On 1517 Oct. 31 he posted his famous 95 theses at the door of the university church. These theses were against the misuse of indulgences by the Catholic Church, and here the Reformation started. Luther also influenced the German language through his translations of the Old and the New Testaments into German.Naming citation (19981208/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Martin Luther is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Martin Luther is 2.62 au from the Sun and 2.06 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7100 |
| Provisional designation | 1360 T-2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.79 km (#13,239 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.309 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.32 |
| Orbital period | 4.85 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.87 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.61 – 3.13 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0911 |
| Inclination | 1.27° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.59 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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