(7738) Heyman Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 November 1981 by Oak Ridge Observatory at Harvard.
Named in honor of I. Michael Heyman (b. 1930), secretary and linchpin of the Smithsonian Institution's diverse and incomparably rich programs. Educator, legal scholar, civil rights champion, he has unfailingly supported research at the frontiers of astronomy.Naming citation (19980808/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Heyman is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Heyman is 2.59 au from the Sun and 3.13 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7738 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 WS1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.86 km (#13,083 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.327 |
| Rotation period | 6.67 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.14 |
| Orbital period | 3.38 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.25 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.84 – 2.66 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.182 |
| Inclination | 5.95° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.830 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Michael
- (3192) A'Hearn
- (4477) Kelley
- (4599) Rowan
- (5373) Michaelkurtz
- (5554) Keesey
- (5569) Colby
- (6406) Mikejura
- (6569) Ondaatje
- (7936) Mikemagee
- (8032) Michaeladams
- (8129) Michaelbusch
- (8379) Straczynski
All asteroids named after someone called Michael
Also discovered on 24 November 1981
- (2633) Bishop
- (2708) Burns
- (2813) Zappala
- (3172) Hirst
- (3173) McNaught
- (3454) Lieske
- (3853) Haas
- (3944) Halliday
- (4024) Ronan
- (4025) Ridley
- (5500) Twilley
- (6628) Dondelia
More named asteroids discovered by Oak Ridge Observatory
- (2674) Pandarus
- (2872) Gentelec
- (3076) Garber
- (3342) Fivesparks
- (3773) Smithsonian
- (3797) Ching-Sung Yu
- (4372) Quincy
- (4733) ORO
- (5976) Kalatajean
- (6696) Eubanks
- (6949) Zissell
- (7276) Maymie
← (7737) Sirrah · (7739) Cech →