(6756) Williamfeldman Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Palomar.
William C. Feldman (b. 1940) is the father of planetary neutron spectroscopy. His ingeniously designed instruments found evidence for ice at the lunar poles, Mercury's north pole, and in the high-latitude subsurface of Mars. He is loved for his open and generous collaborations and unrelenting enthusiasm for science.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-09-25), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Williamfeldman is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Williamfeldman is 3.11 au from the Sun and 2.22 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6756 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 VX3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.95 km (#12,868 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.237 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.11 |
| Orbital period | 4.38 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.68 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.18 – 3.17 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.185 |
| Inclination | 3.64° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.18 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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