(400162) SAIT Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 November 2006 by M. Mazzucato A. Boattini at San Marcello.
SAIT is the acronym of the Societa Astronomica Italiana (Italian Society of Astronomy). Founded in Palermo in 1871 under the name Italian Society of Spectroscopists, it was the first professional association specializing in “physical astronomy” and its Memorie (1872) is considered the world's first astrophysics journal.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #5, 12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where SAIT is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: SAIT is 2.54 au from the Sun and 2.90 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 400162 |
| Provisional designation | 2006 VM85 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.02 km (#17,022 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0760 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.26 |
| Orbital period | 4.23 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.61 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.09 – 3.14 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.200 |
| Inclination | 3.35° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.09 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.