(8800) Brophy Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
John R. Brophy (b. 1956) is a Principal Engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a key developer of the ion propulsion engines that thrust the Dawn spacecraft to Vesta, enabling it to orbit Vesta, map it, and then continue on to Ceres.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2014-07-12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Brophy is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Brophy is 3.37 au from the Sun and 4.35 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8800 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 EB26 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.62 km (#8,087 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0840 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.66 |
| Orbital period | 5.62 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.16 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.65 – 3.67 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.162 |
| Inclination | 4.19° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.67 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called John
- (3882) Johncox
- (3893) DeLaeter
- (4089) Galbraith
- (4147) Lennon
- (4525) Johnbauer
- (4656) Huchra
- (4987) Flamsteed
- (5207) Hearnshaw
- (5216) Cannizzo
- (5362) Johnyoung
- (5517) Johnerogers
- (5558) Johnnapier
All asteroids named after someone called John
Also discovered on 2 March 1981
- (2884) Reddish
- (2919) Dali
- (2980) Cameron
- (2981) Chagall
- (2990) Trimberger
- (3000) Leonardo
- (3121) Tamines
- (3122) Florence
- (3207) Spinrad
- (3252) Johnny
- (3304) Pearce
- (3524) Schulz
More named asteroids discovered by S. J. Bus
- (2285) Ron Helin
- (2780) Monnig
- (2791) Paradise
- (2884) Reddish
- (2919) Dali
- (2980) Cameron
- (2981) Chagall
- (2990) Trimberger
- (3000) Leonardo
- (3029) Sanders
- (3030) Vehrenberg
- (3042) Zelinsky
← (8799) Barnouin · (8801) Nugent →