(8987) Cavancuddy Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Palomar.
Cavan Michael Cuddy (b. 1981) contributed to NASA's Lucy mission as the System Design Lead and Spacecraft Responsible Systems Engineer.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #9, 7), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Cavancuddy is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cavancuddy is 2.88 au from the Sun and 3.00 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8987 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 VD4 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.31 km (#14,455 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.405 |
| Rotation period | 15.3 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.39 |
| Orbital period | 4.30 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.65 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.41 – 2.88 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0905 |
| Inclination | 3.41° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.39 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 7 November 1978
- (2324) Janice
- (2440) Educatio
- (2499) Brunk
- (2611) Boyce
- (2725) David Bender
- (2925) Beatty
- (3240) Laocoon
- (3449) Abell
- (3651) Friedman
- (3718) Dunbar
- (3926) Ramirez
- (4012) Geballe