(5289) Niemela Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 May 1990 by Felix Aguilar Observatory at El Leoncito.
Born in Helsinki, Virpi Niemelä (b. 1936) moved to Argentina at the age of 17. She received her Ph.D. in astronomy at La Plata observatory, where she has conducted her professional work. Her main field of research is massive stars, an area to which she has contributed over 150 refereed papers.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #5, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Niemela is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Niemela is 2.89 au from the Sun and 3.72 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5289 |
| Provisional designation | 1990 KG2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 9.86 km (#5,188 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.263 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.63 |
| Orbital period | 5.22 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.01 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.74 – 3.27 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0876 |
| Inclination | 10.4° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.75 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.