(16260) Sputnik Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 May 2000 by J. Broughton at Reedy Creek.
Sputnik is the Russian name of a series of artificial satellites, the first of which ushered in the space age on 1957 Oct. 4.Naming citation (20010509/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Sputnik is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sputnik is 2.32 au from the Sun and 2.75 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 16260 |
| Provisional designation | 2000 JO15 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.99 km (#10,638 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.235 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.89 |
| Orbital period | 3.72 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.40 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.94 – 2.86 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.191 |
| Inclination | 4.69° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.948 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 9 May 2000
- (17262) Winokur
- (26640) Bahyl
- (28848) Nicolemarie
- (30373) Mattharley
- (30374) Bobbiehinson
- (30375) Kathuang
- (32033) Arjunkapoor
- (32062) Amolpunjabi
- (32063) Pusapaty
- (32065) Radulovacki
- (32066) Ramayya