(31450) Stevepreston Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 February 1999 by J. Broughton at Reedy Creek.
US occultation observer and skilled mathematician, Steve Preston (b. 1956), introduced asteroidal predictions of unprecedented accuracy in 2001, significantly increasing observation rates worldwide. He was elected president of the International Occultation Timing Association in 2014.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-09-25), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Stevepreston is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Stevepreston is 1.76 au from the Sun and 1.13 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 31450 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 CU9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 10.6 km (#4,757 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0520 |
| Rotation period | 3.41 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.19 |
| Orbital period | 3.70 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.39 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.76 – 3.03 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.266 |
| Inclination | 10.7° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.749 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 14 February 1999
- (20433) Prestinenza
- (27217) Mattieharrington
- (28331) Dianeberard
- (31453) Arnaudthiry
- (42795) Derekmuller
- (49500) Ishitoshi
- (59248) Genevievesoucail