(21680) Richardschwartz Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 September 1999 by Farra d'Isonzo at Farra d'Isonzo.
Richard K. Schwartz (1933-1998) was an amateur astronomer in the γ-ray burster field at the Santa Barbara Astronomical Group. He co-founded a small CCD brand that in 1991 developed star tracking equipment, sparking the CCD revolution in the world of amateur astronomy.Naming citation (20020921/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Richardschwartz is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Richardschwartz is 2.75 au from the Sun and 2.38 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 21680 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 RS31 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.53 km (#8,207 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0790 |
| Rotation period | 23.2 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.63 |
| Orbital period | 4.59 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.76 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.61 – 2.92 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0563 |
| Inclination | 5.30° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.62 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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