(7939) Asphaug Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 January 1991 by E. F. Helin at Palomar.
Named in honor of Erik Asphaug (b. 1961), currently in the Earth Sciences Department at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Asphaug has pioneered the application of fracture mechanics and hydrodynamics to numerous problems in planetary science. Using a radar-derived model of (4769) Castalia, he has explored how effects of a hypervelocity impact depend on the projectile's energy, the equation of state of the target material and the target's internal configuration of fractures and voids. His calculations have important implications for our understanding of the collisional evolution of minor planets and for the mitigation of hazards due to comets and minor planets.Naming citation (19981005/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Asphaug is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Asphaug is 1.91 au from the Sun and 0.919 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7939 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 AP1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.95 km (#15,333 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.352 |
| Rotation period | 3.56 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.68 |
| Orbital period | 3.63 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.36 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.86 – 2.87 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.214 |
| Inclination | 1.50° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.868 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Erik
- (7292) Prosperin
- (8327) Weihenmayer
- (9438) Satie
- (10270) Skoglov
- (11307) Erikolsson
- (11521) Erikson
- (15170) Erikdeul
- (15621) Erikhovland
- (23801) Erikgustafson
- (24066) Eriksorensen
- (33044) Erikdavy
- (129955) Eriksyrstad
All asteroids named after someone called Erik