(11757) Salpeter Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Edwin E. Salpeter (b. 1924), born in Austria, educated in Australia and the U.K., has been at Cornell University since 1948. A generalist, he worked with Hans Bethe in quantum electrodynamics and nuclear physics and is best known for the triple-α helium-burning reaction and for the initial mass function of stars.Naming citation (20040306/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Salpeter is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Salpeter is 2.89 au from the Sun and 3.42 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 11757 |
| Provisional designation | 2799 P-L |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.70 km (#8,005 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0320 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.19 |
| Orbital period | 5.57 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.14 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.38 – 3.90 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.241 |
| Inclination | 29.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.39 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Edwin
- (1852) Carpenter
- (3932) Edshay
- (7868) Barker
- (9164) Colbert
- (10977) Mathlener
- (20894) Krumeich
- (26485) Edwinpost
- (34620) Edwinbodoni
- (169299) Sirko
All asteroids named after someone called Edwin
Also discovered on 24 September 1960
- (1743) Schmidt
- (1744) Harriet
- (1776) Kuiper
- (1777) Gehrels
- (1795) Woltjer
- (1808) Bellerophon
- (1809) Prometheus
- (1810) Epimetheus
- (1811) Bruwer
- (1812) Gilgamesh
- (1846) Bengt
- (1868) Thersites