(228980) Robertstrain Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 23 October 2003 by M. W. Buie at Kitt Peak.
Robert D. Strain (b. 1956) is an American who served as the director of the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory during the final portion of the development, launch and early flight years of the NASA New Horizons mission. He provided critical leadership that resulted in the successful flight of New Horizons to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #4, 29), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Robertstrain is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Robertstrain is 2.72 au from the Sun and 1.82 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 228980 |
| Provisional designation | 2003 UZ289 |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.0 |
| Orbital period | 5.76 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.21 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.66 – 3.76 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.171 |
| Inclination | 2.58° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.66 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Robert
- (1955) McMath
- (3514) Hooke
- (3875) Staehle
- (4564) Clayton
- (4809) Robertball
- (5109) Robertmiller
- (5308) Hutchison
- (5477) Holmes
- (5585) Parks
- (5636) Jacobson
- (5739) Robertburns
- (5817) Robertfrazer
All asteroids named after someone called Robert