(5862) Sakanoue Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 13 January 1983 by T. Seki at Geisei.

Named in honor of Tsutomu Sakanoue (b. 1921), professor emeritus of Kyushu University whose specialties included agricultural meteorology, countermeasures against meteorological disasters, medical meteorology and rainmaking. An amateur astronomer with particular interests in atmospheric seeing, the green flash and shadow bands, he contributed to the popularization of astronomy as an advisor at several science museums. He also served as vice president and president of the Oriental Astronomical Association. Name proposed by the discoverer following a suggestion by S. Murayama, T. Sato and A. Fujii.Naming citation (19981005/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Sakanoue is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sakanoue is 2.29 au from the Sun and 1.85 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	5862
Provisional designation	1983 AB
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	4.02 km (#12,692 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.301
Absolute magnitude (H)	14.19
Orbital period	3.68 years
Semi-major axis	2.39 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.03 – 2.74 au
Eccentricity	0.150
Inclination	3.39°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.04 au

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

Also named after someone called Tsutomu

All asteroids named after someone called Tsutomu

Also discovered on 13 January 1983

More named asteroids discovered by T. Seki

All 224

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