(19318) Somanah Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 December 1996 by Manca, F., Cavagna, M. at Sormano.
Radhakhrishna Dinesh Somanah (b. 1960) has been a professor of physics and astrophysics at the University of Mauritius since 1987. As one of the three pioneers of professional astronomy in the republic, he was particularly involved in the construction of the Mauritius Radio Telescope.Naming citation (20070601/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Somanah is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Somanah is 2.72 au from the Sun and 3.67 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 19318 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 XB2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.25 km (#12,155 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.323 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.9 |
| Orbital period | 3.60 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.35 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.79 – 2.91 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.238 |
| Inclination | 24.4° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.818 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.