(5451) Plato Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Where Plato is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsPlatoPlato

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Plato is 2.81 au from the Sun and 3.14 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number5451
Provisional designation4598 P-L
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter8.70 km (#5,988 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.0530
Rotation period6.19 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)14.33
Orbital period4.04 years
Semi-major axis2.53 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.18 – 2.89 au
Eccentricity0.140
Inclination1.76°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.16 au

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

Also discovered on 24 September 1960

More named asteroids discovered by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T.