(38640) Rau Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 5 July 2000 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.
Steve Rau (b. 1972) is a Belgian amateur astronomer who has installed, operated and maintained global CAMS low-light video camera stations for the mapping of meteor showers for many years.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #15, 11), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Rau is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Rau is 2.09 au from the Sun and 1.71 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 38640 |
| Provisional designation | 2000 NO16 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.25 |
| Orbital period | 3.27 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.20 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.04 – 2.37 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0746 |
| Inclination | 3.26° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.04 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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