(7868) Barker Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 26 October 1984 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.

Named in honor of Edwin S. Barker (b. 1940), a research scientist at the McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin. Barker is well known for his work on physical observations of both major and minor planets. He served as McDonald Observatory superintendent for several years in the 1980s, simultaneously continuing his planetary studies and vastly improving seeing conditions at the observatory. He also conducted an extensive atmospheric-monitoring and data-reduction program that resulted in the recommendation of locating the Hobby-Eberly Telescope on Mt. Fowlkes. In the early 1990s he very successfully served as discipline scientist at NASA headquarters, and in 1997-1998 was chair of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society. Citation written by P. J. Shelus.Naming citation (19990728/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

👶 Barker as a baby name 🐶 Barker as a dog name

Where Barker is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Barker is 3.07 au from the Sun and 4.06 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	7868
Provisional designation	1984 UX2
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	14.9 km (#3,157 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.0920
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.89
Orbital period	4.39 years
Semi-major axis	2.68 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.14 – 3.22 au
Eccentricity	0.201
Inclination	12.0°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.15 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Edwin

All asteroids named after someone called Edwin

Also discovered on 26 October 1984

More named asteroids discovered by E. Bowell

All 554

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