(21476) Petrie Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 April 1998 by J. Broughton at Reedy Creek.
William Flinders Petrie (1853-1942), grandson of British explorer Matthew Flinders, was a self-taught surveyor and archaeologist. His methods of meticulous excavation, recording and sequential dating became standard practice in the field. He has been called the father of modern archaeology.Naming citation (20050407/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Petrie is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Petrie is 2.28 au from the Sun and 2.09 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 21476 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 HW101 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.85 km (#13,100 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.360 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.04 |
| Orbital period | 3.29 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.21 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.09 – 2.34 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0555 |
| Inclination | 6.49° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.09 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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