(3882) Johncox Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 7 September 1962 by Indiana University at Brooklyn.

Named in memory of John Paul Cox (1926–1984), whose professional life was devoted to an investigation of the pulsational mechanisms in variable stars. First at Cornell University and later at the University of Colorado, from where he collaborated with workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratories, he made several outstanding contributions in his field. He produced the first exact, linear, non-adiabatic treatment of pulsation. Along with Zhevakin, Cox realized the importance of the second helium ionization zone as the source of the driving power for Cepheids. He also made significant contributions to our understanding of the β Cephei and RR Lyrae stars and authored several review papers and two books that are models of clarity in a very complex subject and will be cited for years to come. Name proposed by H. R. Johnson and F. K. Edmondson.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #10, 4), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Johncox is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Johncox is 2.19 au from the Sun and 3.09 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	3882
Provisional designation	1962 RN
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	5.86 km (#9,139 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.395
Rotation period	8.57 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.95
Orbital period	3.84 years
Semi-major axis	2.45 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.12 – 2.78 au
Eccentricity	0.135
Inclination	5.00°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.11 au

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

Also named after someone called John

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Also discovered on 7 September 1962

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