(3351)Smith

(3351) Smith is an asteroid that forms part of the asteroid belt and was discovered by Edward L. G. Bowell from the Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, United States, on September 7, 1980.

Designation and name

Smith was originally designated as 1980 RN₁. Later, in 1986, it was named in honor of the American astronaut Michael Smith (1945-1986), who died in the Challenger accident.

Orbital characteristics

Smith is located at an average distance from the Sun of 3,043 AU, being able to move away up to 3,861 AU and approach up to 2,224 AU. Its orbital inclination is 13.23 degrees and eccentricity 0.2689. It takes 1938 days to complete an orbit around the Sun.

Physical characteristics

The absolute magnitude of Smith is 12.9.