| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | H. E. Holt |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 5 August 1991 |
| Designations | |
| (6726) Suthers | |
Named after | Paul Sutherland (author and journalist)[2] |
| 1991 PS · 1986 AG2 | |
| main-belt · (inner) background | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 63.66 yr (23,250 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.5004AU |
| Perihelion | 2.0740 AU |
| 2.2872 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0932 |
| 3.46yr (1,263 days) | |
| 96.351° | |
| 0° 17m 5.64s / day | |
| Inclination | 4.2993° |
| 277.71° | |
| 146.31° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 3.455±0.404[3] |
| 0.207±0.050[3] | |
| 13.9[1] | |
6726 Suthers, provisional designation1991 PS, is a backgroundasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 5 August 1991, by American astronomerHenry E. Holt atPalomar Observatory inSan Diego County, California. The asteroid was named after authorPaul Sutherland.[2]
Suthers is a non-family asteroid from the main belt'sbackground population. It orbits the Sun in theinner main-belt at a distance of 2.1–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,263 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.09 and aninclination of 4° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
In 2012, thisminor planet was officially named after Paul Sutherland, author and journalist, who has actively supported the UK-basedSociety for Popular Astronomy for many years, and who is known as "Suthers" to friends and colleagues. He is author ofWhere Did Pluto Go? and responsible for bringing many astronomical stories to a wider public.[2]
According to the survey carried out by NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,Suthers measures 3.455 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.207.[3]
