(6540) Stepling Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 16 September 1982 by A. Mrkos at Klet.
Named in memory of Joseph Stepling (1716-1778), founder and the first director of the astronomical observatory at the Jesuit college in Prague called Klementinum (1751). He was also known for introducing Newtonian physics to Prague. Name suggested by J. Ticha and M. Šolc.Naming citation (19980211/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Stepling is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Stepling is 2.57 au from the Sun and 3.56 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6540 |
| Provisional designation | 1982 SL1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.16 km (#10,331 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.241 |
| Rotation period | 65.3 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.91 |
| Orbital period | 3.25 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.20 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.82 – 2.57 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.171 |
| Inclination | 4.68° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.819 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Joseph
- (2157) Ashbrook
- (4225) Hobart
- (5034) Joeharrington
- (5577) Priestley
- (5883) Josephblack
- (6743) Liu
- (7656) Joemontani
- (8023) Josephwalker
- (8255) Masiero
- (8661) Ratzinger
- (8794) Joepatterson
- (9413) Eichendorff
All asteroids named after someone called Joseph
Also discovered on 16 September 1982
- (3137) Horky
- (3765) Texereau
- (4174) Pikulia
- (4196) Shuya
- (4762) Dobrynya
- (4926) Smoktunovskij
- (5315) Bal'mont
- (5552) Studnicka
- (6113) Tsap
- (7457) Veselov
- (9154) Kol'tsovo
- (10286) Shnollia
More named asteroids discovered by A. Mrkos
- (2199) Klet
- (2304) Slavia
- (2325) Chernykh
- (2367) Praha
- (2403) Sumava
- (2404) Antarctica
- (2552) Remek
- (2559) Svoboda
- (2747) Cesky Krumlov
- (2811) Stremchovi
- (2889) Brno
- (2936) Nechvile
← (6539) Nohavica · (6541) Yuan →