(288960) Steponasdarius Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 11 October 2004 by Cernis, K., Zdanavicius, J. at Moletai.
Steponas Darius (1896–1933), born Steponas Darašius, was a Lithuanian-American pilot. In 1933, he and Stasys Girėnas attempted a nonstop flight from New York City to Kaunas, Lithuania. They crossed the Atlantic in 37 hours, but died when their plane crashed near the village of Kuhdamm, near Soldin, Germany.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #12, 13), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Steponasdarius is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Steponasdarius is 2.84 au from the Sun and 2.72 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 288960 |
| Provisional designation | 2004 TN16 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.76 |
| Orbital period | 5.30 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.04 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.77 – 3.31 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0874 |
| Inclination | 9.03° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.79 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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