(9278) Matera Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 March 1981 by Debehogne, H., De Sanctis, G. at La Silla.
Matera is a city in Italy and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is known worldwide for its historic Sassi districts. The European Union designated Matera as a European capital of culture for 2019.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #4, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Matera is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Matera is 3.19 au from the Sun and 4.17 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 9278 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 EM1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 12.2 km (#4,015 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0900 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.07 |
| Orbital period | 5.63 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.17 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.66 – 3.67 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.160 |
| Inclination | 2.35° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.68 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 7 March 1981
- (5365) Fievez
- (6030) Zolensky
- (8796) Sonnett
- (8798) Tarantino
- (9284) Juansanchez
- (9528) Kuppers
- (9923) Ronaldthiel
- (16372) Demichele
More named asteroids discovered by Debehogne, H., De Sanctis, G.
- (2461) Clavel
- (2765) Dinant
- (2788) Andenne
- (2958) Arpetito
- (3016) Meuse
- (3121) Tamines
- (3235) Melchior
- (3268) De Sanctis
- (3308) Ferreri
- (3610) Decampos
- (3740) Menge
- (4192) Breysacher
← (9277) Togashi · (9279) Seager →