What is the name of the asteroid named after Carl Sagan?

The asteroid named after Carl Sagan is 2709 Sagan. It is a stony asteroid in the inner part of the main asteroid belt and was officially named to honor the astronomer and science communicator.

American astronomer Edward L. G. Bowell discovered the object on March 21, 1982, at Lowell Observatory's Anderson Mesa Station near Flagstaff, Arizona. Before receiving its permanent name and number, it was identified by the provisional designation 1982 FH. The asteroid is approximately 6.7 kilometers in diameter.

2709 Sagan belongs to the Flora family, one of the major groups of stony asteroids. It travels around the Sun at roughly 2.0 to 2.3 astronomical units and completes an orbit in about 1,188 days, or a little over three years. Observations indicate that it rotates once about every 5.25 hours.

The name is sometimes confused with the asteroid 4970 Druyan, which honors Carl Sagan's wife and collaborator Ann Druyan. The two objects are described as having a “wedding ring orbit” relationship around the Sun. The number 2709 is part of the asteroid's official designation, not a year or a separate version of Sagan's name.