(51772) Sparker Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 16 June 2001 by R. Dyvig at Badlands.
Steve Parker (b. 1951) is currently director of Hidden Valley Observatory, which is operated by the Black Hills Astronomical Society in Rapid City, South Dakota. He has extensive knowledge and skill in construction techniques, and his voluntary effort was instrumental in the rebuilding of Badlands Observatory after a fire in 1998.Naming citation (20090806/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Sparker is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sparker is 3.03 au from the Sun and 4.01 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 51772 |
| Provisional designation | 2001 MJ |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.22 km (#12,215 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.136 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.1 |
| Orbital period | 4.40 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.68 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.18 – 3.19 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.188 |
| Inclination | 11.0° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.20 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Steve
- (5945) Roachapproach
- (11666) Bracker
- (11728) Einer
- (13822) Stevedodson
- (14277) Parsa
- (14942) Stevebaker
- (19379) Labrecque
- (19833) Wickwar
- (22852) Kinney
- (24654) Fossett
- (25521) Stevemorgan
- (32120) Stevezheng
All asteroids named after someone called Steve