(211172) Tarantola Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 May 2002 by Dellinger, J., Sava, P. at Needville.
Albert Tarantola (1949-2009) was a visionary geophysicist who made seminal contributions to Inverse Problem Theory. He was the first to use inversion methods to image the Earth's interior using seismic waveforms.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2017-10-05), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Tarantola is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Tarantola is 2.88 au from the Sun and 2.65 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 211172 |
| Provisional designation | 2002 JX10 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.51 |
| Orbital period | 3.70 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.39 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.89 – 2.89 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.208 |
| Inclination | 0.947° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.880 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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