Smuts

Smuts is an Afrikaans surname.

1731 Smuts

1731 Smuts, provisional designation 1948 PH, is a large, carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, about 54 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by South African astronomer Ernest Johnson at Union Observatory, Johannesburg, on 9 August 1948.

The C-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.8–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 8 months (2,058 days). Its orbit shows an eccentricity of 0.13 and is tilted by 6 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic. It has a rotation period of 12.5 hours and an albedo of 0.05–0.06, according to observations carried out by the IRAS, Akari, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer missions.

The asteroid was named after prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, Field Marshal and philosopher, Jan Smuts (1870–1950), under whom the discoverer of the asteroid fought in both World Wars. Smuts captured German South-West Africa in World War I and was the only man to sign both of the peace treaties ending the First and Second World Wars. He served as prime minister of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and again from 1939 until 1948.