(52231) Sitnik Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 5 September 1978 by N. S. Chernykh at Nauchnyj.
Grigorij Fedorovich Sitnik (1911-1996), professor of the Moscow State University, was one of the leading experts in the field of solar physics, absolute measurements of radiation fluxes and atmospheric optics. While working in Russia and overseas, he trained generations of astronomers.Naming citation (20120406/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Sitnik is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sitnik is 2.59 au from the Sun and 3.26 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 52231 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 RX1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.62 km (#16,021 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.356 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.52 |
| Orbital period | 3.35 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.24 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.78 – 2.70 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.206 |
| Inclination | 3.97° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.773 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 5 September 1978
- (2610) Tuva
- (2859) Paganini
- (2969) Mikula
- (3072) Vilnius
- (4883) Korolirina
- (5086) Demin
- (6576) Kievtech
- (6622) Matvienko
- (7453) Slovtsov
- (8322) Kononovich
- (8785) Boltwood
- (12189) Dovgyj