(345972) Rufin Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 14 October 2007 by B. Christophe at Saint-Sulpice.

Jean-Christophe Rufin (b. 1952) is a French doctor, diplomat, historian, globetrotter and novelist. He is the president of Action Against Hunger, was one of the earliest members of Médecins Sans Frontières, and is a member of the Académie Française.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #1, 27), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Rufin is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsRufinRufin

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Rufin is 2.76 au from the Sun and 2.39 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number345972
Provisional designation2007 TM105
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Absolute magnitude (H)17.35
Orbital period4.60 years
Semi-major axis2.76 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.54 – 2.99 au
Eccentricity0.0803
Inclination0.620°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.53 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Christophe

Also discovered on 14 October 2007

More named asteroids discovered by B. Christophe