(8407) Houlahan Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 25 July 1995 by P. G. Comba at Prescott.
Named in honor of Padraig Houlahan (b. 1958). Although Houlahan studied astronomy, he has worked mainly as a computer expert at various institutions, lately at Lowell Observatory. When the discoverer was first attempting to do astrometry by measuring photographic prints, Houlahan suggested putting the prints through a digital scanner and measuring them with a computer. The method, although slow, gave satisfactory results. Thereafter Houlahan and the discoverer, working jointly, measured more than 200 prints, including 20 with images of this minor planet.Naming citation (19980610/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Houlahan is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Houlahan is 2.10 au from the Sun and 2.22 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8407 |
| Provisional designation | 1995 ON |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.32 |
| Orbital period | 3.47 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.29 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.00 – 2.59 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.128 |
| Inclination | 6.98° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.998 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.