(45509) Robertward Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 January 2000 by CSS at Catalina.
Robert Ward (b. 1976) was inspired by his sighting of a fireball from his home in Bullhead City, Arizona in 1989. He has gone on to find nearly 6,000 meteorites in 600 localities on six continents, including the recovery of over 20 witnessed falls.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2020-02-05), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Robertward is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Robertward is 2.93 au from the Sun and 3.53 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 45509 |
| Provisional designation | 2000 BZ22 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.21 km (#12,245 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.208 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.42 |
| Orbital period | 4.44 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.70 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.44 – 2.96 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0957 |
| Inclination | 11.8° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.44 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
Also discovered on 30 January 2000
- (14275) Dianemurray
- (16199) Rozenblyum
- (17218) Stgeorge
- (23151) Georgehotz
- (24421) Djorgovski
- (25760) Annaspitz
- (26493) Paulsucala
- (26495) Eichorn
- (27320) Vellinga
- (28474) Bustamante
- (30004) Mikewilliams
- (31836) Poshedly