(7538) Zenbei Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 November 1996 by T. Kobayashi at Oizumi.
Iwahashi Zenbei (1756-1811) is known for building the most superior Japanese telescope in the Edo era. His family worked as opticians in Osaka for four generations after him.Naming citation (20030501/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Zenbei is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Zenbei is 2.61 au from the Sun and 3.39 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7538 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 VE6 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.13 km (#12,425 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.312 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.32 |
| Orbital period | 3.64 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.36 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.92 – 2.80 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.186 |
| Inclination | 2.52° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.927 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.