(6223) Dahl Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 3 September 1980 by A. Mrkos at Klet.
Named in honor of the Welsh-born author Roald Dahl (b. 1916). His Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach are classics of children's literature. Name suggested by G. V. Williams, who made the identifications involving this object.Naming citation (19960828/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Dahl is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Dahl is 2.52 au from the Sun and 1.93 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6223 |
| Provisional designation | 1980 RD1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 19.6 km (#2,247 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0330 |
| Rotation period | 3.33 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.81 |
| Orbital period | 4.53 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.74 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.41 – 3.06 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.119 |
| Inclination | 3.85° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.41 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.