2867 Šteins
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2867 Šteins is a small main-belt asteroid that was discovered in 1969 by N. S. Chernykh. It is named after Kārlis Šteins, a Latvian astronomer.
A recent study by astronomers at the European Southern Observatory showed that Šteins is an E-type asteroid with a diameter of approximately 4.6km [1]. A lightcurve analysis by the Rosetta space probe has shown that Šteins has a rotation period of about nine hours, is irregular in shape, and does not have any moons.[2]
On September 5, 2008, the Rosetta space probe will fly past Steins at a distance of 1700 kilometres and a relatively slow speed of 9 kilometres per second. This will be the first of two asteroid flybys performed by the probe, the second being the much larger 21 Lutetia in 2010.
Vulcanoids · Near-Earth asteroids · Main belt · Jupiter Trojans · Centaurs · Damocloids · Comets · Trans-Neptunians (Kuiper belt • Scattered disc • Oort cloud)
For other objects and regions, see Asteroid groups and families, Binary asteroids, Asteroid moons and the Solar System.
For a complete listing, see List of asteroids. See also Pronunciation of asteroid names and Meanings of asteroid names.
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