(8023) Josephwalker Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 17 February 1991 by T. Urata at Oohira.
NASA research pilot Joseph Walker (1921-1966) was the second pilot to fly the X-15 and made a total of 25 flights. Three of these flights entered space and he received NASA astronaut wings posthumously in 2005.Naming citation (20120207/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Josephwalker is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Josephwalker is 2.73 au from the Sun and 2.99 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8023 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 DD |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.53 km (#13,871 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.325 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.42 |
| Orbital period | 3.80 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.44 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.11 – 2.76 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.134 |
| Inclination | 2.47° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.13 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Joseph
- (2157) Ashbrook
- (4225) Hobart
- (5034) Joeharrington
- (5577) Priestley
- (5883) Josephblack
- (6540) Stepling
- (6743) Liu
- (7656) Joemontani
- (8255) Masiero
- (8661) Ratzinger
- (8794) Joepatterson
- (9413) Eichendorff
All asteroids named after someone called Joseph