2001 Einstein

2001 Einstein

Discovery
Discovered by	P. Wild
Discovery site	Zimmerwald Obs.
Discovery date	5 March 1973
Designations
MPC designation	2001 Einstein
Named after	Albert Einstein
Alternative names	1973 EB
Minor planet category	main-belt (inner)
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 27 June 2015 (JD 2457200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	41.86 yr (15,290 days)
Aphelion	2.1242 AU
Perihelion	1.7422 AU
Semi-major axis	1.9332 AU
Eccentricity	0.0988
Orbital period	2.69 yr (981.81 days)
Average orbital speed	21.37 km/s
Mean anomaly	217.22°
Inclination	22.683°
Longitude of ascending node	357.08°
Argument of perihelion	217.82°
Earth MOID	0.7668 AU
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	11.3 km
Rotation period	5.487 h
Temperature	~200 K
Spectral type	B–V = 0.720 U–B = 0.261 X (Tholen), Xe (SMASS)
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.85

2001 Einstein, provisional designation 1973 EB, is an asteroid from the inner asteroid belt, about 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on March 5, 1973 by astronomer Paul Wild at Zimmerwald Observatory near Bern, Switzerland. The X-type asteroid is a member of the Hungaria family. It is named in honour of the German-born, Swiss–American physicist and Nobelist Albert Einstein.

Photometric measurements of the asteroid made in 2004 at the Palmer Divide Observatory showed a light curve with a period of 5.487 ± 0.002 hours and a brightness variation of 0.66 ± 0.03 in magnitude.

Arthur C. Clarke joked in the postscript of his novel 3001: The Final Odyssey that he was hoping asteroid 2001 would be named after him, but it was named for Einstein first. Asteroid 3001 was named 3001 Michelangelo. Clarke was later honoured with asteroid 4923 Clarke, named together with 5020 Asimov.

External links

• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• 2001 Einstein at the JPL Small-Body Database

• Discovery · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters