(6616) Plotinos Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 25 March 1971 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Named for the Greek philosopher Plotinos (205–270). In Alexandria Plotin studied under the philosopher Ammonios Sakkas and participated in the war of Gordianus III against the Persians. During 244–268 he operated a school in neo-Platonic philosophy. He combined the school of Plato with gnostic elements and oriental mysticism, and he strongly influenced Augustine–and therefore also Christianity.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #10, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Plotinos is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Plotinos is 2.29 au from the Sun and 2.54 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6616 |
| Provisional designation | 1175 T-1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.05 km (#12,610 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.205 |
| Rotation period | 14.6 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.11 |
| Orbital period | 3.75 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.42 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.12 – 2.71 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.121 |
| Inclination | 6.10° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.13 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 25 March 1971
- (1873) Agenor
- (5408) The
- (6072) Hooghoudt
- (6617) Boethius
- (6673) Degas
- (6751) van Genderen
- (7148) Reinholdbien
- (7211) Xerxes
- (7314) Pevsner
- (7624) Gluck
- (7690) Sackler
- (7972) Mariotti