(7923) Chyba Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 28 November 1983 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.

Named in honor of Christopher F. Chyba (b. 1959), who holds the Carl Sagan Chair for the Study of Life in the Universe at the SETI Institute of Mountain View, California. Chyba, who has also worked recently at the University of Arizona and on the U.S. White House science staff, has done pioneering work in understanding the role of impacts in forming the atmospheres of the earth and Mars and in transporting organic chemicals to the inner solar system. He studied the physics of atmospheric entry and applied the results to analysis of the Tunguska object and to determination of the risk threshold for small minor planets colliding with the earth. Chyba currently chairs NASA's Solar System Exploration advisory committee. Citation written by D. Morrison at the request of the discoverer.Naming citation (19990728/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Chyba is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Chyba is 2.95 au from the Sun and 2.67 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	7923
Provisional designation	1983 WJ
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	6.04 km (#8,865 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.359
Rotation period	5.72 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.18
Orbital period	4.92 years
Semi-major axis	2.89 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.64 – 3.15 au
Eccentricity	0.0875
Inclination	3.27°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.65 au

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

Also named after someone called Christopher

All asteroids named after someone called Christopher

Also discovered on 28 November 1983

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