(6790) Pingouin Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 September 1991 by S. Otomo at Kiyosato.
Named for an Arctic bird, similar to the penguin of Antarctica. The pingouin became extinct in Newfoundland in 1852.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #15, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Pingouin is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Pingouin is 1.97 au from the Sun and 2.73 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6790 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 SF1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.77 km (#11,060 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.371 |
| Rotation period | 12.0 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.57 |
| Orbital period | 3.58 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.34 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.86 – 2.83 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.207 |
| Inclination | 11.1° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.881 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.