▁California . ▁The ▁un common ▁L - type ▁astero id ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁American ▁science ▁fiction ▁writer ▁Robert ▁A . ▁Hein lein . ▁ ▁Or bit ▁and ▁classification ▁▁ ▁When ▁applying ▁the ▁hier arch ical ▁clust ering ▁method ▁to ▁the ▁astero id ' s ▁proper ▁orb ital ▁elements , ▁Rob hein lein ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁August a ▁family ▁( as ▁per ▁Z app al à ) ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁non - family ▁astero id ▁from ▁the ▁main ▁bel t ' s ▁background ▁population ▁( as ▁per ▁N es v orn ý ). ▁ ▁It ▁or bits ▁the ▁Sun ▁in ▁the ▁inner ▁astero id ▁bel t ▁at ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁ 2 . 0 – 2 . 3   AU ▁once ▁every ▁ 3 ▁years ▁and ▁ 3 ▁months ▁( 1 , 1 7 9 ▁days ; ▁semi - major ▁axis ▁of ▁ 2 . 1 8   AU ). ▁Its ▁orbit ▁has ▁an ▁ecc ent ric ity ▁of ▁ 0 . 0 7 ▁and ▁an ▁incl ination ▁of ▁ 4 ° ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁the ▁e cli ptic . ▁The ▁body ' s ▁observation ▁arc ▁begins ▁with ▁its ▁first ▁observation ▁as ▁ ▁at ▁the ▁Kle ť ▁Observ atory ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 ▁years ▁prior ▁to ▁its ▁official ▁discovery ▁observation ▁at ▁Pal om ar . ▁ ▁N aming ▁▁ ▁Based ▁on ▁a ▁suggestion ▁by ▁Belg ian ▁amateur ▁astronom er ▁Jean ▁Me eus , ▁this ▁minor ▁planet ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁Robert