(8932) Nagatomo Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 January 1997 by T. Kobayashi at Oizumi.
Makoto Nagatomo (b. 1937) is a pioneer in the field of electric propulsion. Today's electric propulsion technology, applied to Japan's sample return mission Hayabusa, is inherited from his work in the new realm.Naming citation (20031110/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Nagatomo is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Nagatomo is 2.76 au from the Sun and 2.64 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8932 |
| Provisional designation | 1997 AR4 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.36 km (#7,257 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.206 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.11 |
| Orbital period | 5.02 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.93 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.73 – 3.13 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0692 |
| Inclination | 1.32° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.74 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Makoto
- (7803) Adachi
- (8574) Makotoirie
- (9673) Kunishimakoto
- (9851) Sakamoto
- (10546) Nakanomakoto
- (11087) Yamasakimakoto
- (11978) Makotomasako
- (55222) Makotoshinkai
All asteroids named after someone called Makoto
Also discovered on 6 January 1997
- (7618) Gotoyukichi
- (8930) Kubota
- (8931) Hirokimatsuo
- (8933) Kurobe
- (9107) Narukospa
- (17681) Tweedledum
- (18553) Kinkakuji
- (23638) Nagano