(6316) Mendez Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 October 1990 by R. H. McNaught at Siding Spring.
Mariano Méndez (b. 1960) has had a productive scientific career as an astronomer in parallel with his tireless activity aimed at helping the advancement of education and science in developing countries, notably as Vice Chair (2006-2010) and then Chair (2010-2018) of the COSPAR Panel on Capacity Building.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-05-29), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Mendez is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Mendez is 2.29 au from the Sun and 2.58 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6316 |
| Provisional designation | 1990 TL6 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.7 |
| Orbital period | 3.20 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.17 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.79 – 2.55 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.175 |
| Inclination | 3.70° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.787 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Mariano
All asteroids named after someone called Mariano