(24679) Van Rensbergen Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 3 November 1989 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Walter Van Rensbergen (b. 1941) is a physicist at the VUB-University in Brussels. He has taught physics and astrophysics for many years and is well known as a co-author of monographs on binary stars and the evolution of massive stars. During his spare time he runs marathons.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2014-10-08), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Van Rensbergen is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Van Rensbergen is 1.96 au from the Sun and 2.11 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 24679 |
| Provisional designation | 1989 VR1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.41 km (#16,443 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.441 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.96 |
| Orbital period | 3.32 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.22 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.96 – 2.49 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.119 |
| Inclination | 6.16° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.983 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Walter
- (4588) Wislicenus
- (6318) Cronkite
- (7921) Huebner
- (8722) Schirra
- (9132) Walteranderson
- (9187) Walterkroll
- (9577) Gropius
- (9661) Hohmann
- (9696) Jaffe
- (11789) Kempowski
- (12158) Tape
- (15265) Ernsting
All asteroids named after someone called Walter