(12615) Mendesdeleon Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Pablo Mendes de Leon (b. 1954) has directed the International Institute of Air and Space Law since its creation in 1985 and is a recognized expert in the field. He was recently appointed professor of Air and Space Law at the University of Leiden and delivered his inaugural lecture on 2009 Apr. 17.Naming citation (20090607/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Mendesdeleon is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Mendesdeleon is 3.00 au from the Sun and 3.90 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12615 |
| Provisional designation | 4626 P-L |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.66 km (#11,311 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.224 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.21 |
| Orbital period | 4.86 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.87 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.71 – 3.03 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0558 |
| Inclination | 1.98° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.72 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Pablo
- (9288) Santos-Sanz
- (20486) Lemos
- (26080) Pablomarques
- (39549) Casals
- (457818) Ramirezmoreta
- (554466) Pablomotos
All asteroids named after someone called Pablo
Also discovered on 24 September 1960
- (1743) Schmidt
- (1744) Harriet
- (1776) Kuiper
- (1777) Gehrels
- (1795) Woltjer
- (1808) Bellerophon
- (1809) Prometheus
- (1810) Epimetheus
- (1811) Bruwer
- (1812) Gilgamesh
- (1846) Bengt
- (1868) Thersites