(6473) Winkler Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 9 April 1986 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.

Named in honor of Ron Winkler (b. 1954), digital engineer in the radio astronomy and radar group at NASA's Goldstone deep space communications complex. Since the mid-1980s, Winkler has been singularly important in Goldstone radar astronomy and especially in observations of near-Earth asteroids. His understanding of the interface between data-acquisition, antenna-pointing and transmitting systems is unique. His energy, endurance and mastery of procedures for observing close asteroids, demanding frequent switching between transmit and receive configurations, was critical to the success of the radar imaging of (4179) Toutatis, (1620) Geographos and (6489) 1991 JX. Name suggested and citation prepared by S. J. Ostro.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #28, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Winkler is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Winkler is 2.72 au from the Sun and 3.12 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	6473
Provisional designation	1986 GM
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	11.9 km (#4,128 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.0860
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.21
Orbital period	4.40 years
Semi-major axis	2.69 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.35 – 3.03 au
Eccentricity	0.126
Inclination	7.46°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.35 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Ron

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More named asteroids discovered by E. Bowell

All 554

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