(5763) Williamtobin Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 23 June 1982 by Gilmore, A. C., Kilmartin, P. M. at Lake Tekapo.
William John Tobin (1953–2022) was the English-born former director of Mt. John Observatory. He studied spectra and photometry of blue stars, eclipsing binaries in the Magellanic Clouds, and the dust disk around β Pictoris. His publications include a definitive biography of Léon Foucault and a history of southern expeditions for the transit of Venus.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #16, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Williamtobin is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Williamtobin is 2.85 au from the Sun and 2.98 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5763 |
| Provisional designation | 1982 MA |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.03 |
| Orbital period | 3.85 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.46 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.05 – 2.86 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.165 |
| Inclination | 0.264° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.04 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called William
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All asteroids named after someone called William
More named asteroids discovered by Gilmore, A. C., Kilmartin, P. M.
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← (5762) Wanke · (5765) Izett →