(10983) Smolders Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 16 October 1977 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
The Dutch scientist, writer and journalist Petrus L. L. Smolders (b. 1940) has contributed to the popularization of spaceflight and astronomy in the Netherlands. The name was suggested by W. A. Fröger.Naming citation (20070730/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Smolders is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Smolders is 2.20 au from the Sun and 1.21 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 10983 |
| Provisional designation | 3196 T-3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.72 km (#13,397 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.127 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.81 |
| Orbital period | 3.77 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.42 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.96 – 2.88 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.191 |
| Inclination | 2.34° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.945 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Petrus
All asteroids named after someone called Petrus
Also discovered on 16 October 1977
- (3798) de Jager
- (3936) Elst
- (4044) Erikhog
- (4108) Rakos
- (4722) Agelaos
- (4753) Phidias
- (4754) Panthoos
- (5610) Balster
- (5699) Munch
- (5700) Homerus
- (5984) Lysippus
- (6055) Brunelleschi