(20101) Robsullivan Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 1 December 1994 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Robert John Sullivan, Jr. (1962–2026) was an American planetary scientist who studied surface geologic processes on Mars, Europa, and several asteroids. He was a pioneering expert on aeolian and gradational processes: the way wind and/or gravity can move regolith materials on diverse worlds across the solar system to help reveal their geologic histories.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #6, 7), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Robsullivan is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Robsullivan is 3.01 au from the Sun and 2.74 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20101 |
| Provisional designation | 1994 XM2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 19.5 km (#2,278 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0290 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.82 |
| Orbital period | 5.57 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.14 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 3.01 – 3.27 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0413 |
| Inclination | 8.48° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 2.01 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