(6107) Osterbrock Inner Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 14 January 1948 by C. A. Wirtanen at Mount Hamilton.

Named in honor of Donald E. Osterbrock (b. 1924), professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1958-1973) and at the University of California at Santa Cruz and UCO/Lick Observatory (1972-199 and director of the Lick Observatory (1973-1981). His research spans gaseous nebulae, interstellar matter, galactic structure, and quasars and active nuclei of galaxies, and he has authored a historical series on the life and work of several astronomers who played vital roles in the progress of American astronomy. Osterbrock served as president of the American Astronomical Society during 1987-1989. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. Citation prepared by A.R. Klemola.Naming citation (19960828/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Osterbrock is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Osterbrock is 1.89 au from the Sun and 1.87 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	6107
Provisional designation	1948 AF
Orbit class	Inner Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	4.36 km (#11,916 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.211
Rotation period	2.37 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)	14.53
Orbital period	2.55 years
Semi-major axis	1.87 au
Perihelion – aphelion	1.71 – 2.02 au
Eccentricity	0.0829
Inclination	26.2°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	0.821 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Donald

All asteroids named after someone called Donald

Also discovered on 14 January 1948

More named asteroids discovered by C. A. Wirtanen

← (6106) Stoss · (6108) Glebov →