(8611) Judithgoldhaber Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 18 October 1977 by S. J. Bus at Palomar.

Judith Goldhaber (b. 1934), science writer for four decades at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, pioneered science-writing in many fields. Her early championing of astrophysics research at LBNL eventually prepared ground for two Nobel Prizes. Name suggested by C. Pennypacker.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2013-07-22), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Judithgoldhaber is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Judithgoldhaber is 2.87 au from the Sun and 3.44 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	8611
Provisional designation	1977 UM4
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	4.65 km (#11,331 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.346
Absolute magnitude (H)	14.2
Orbital period	3.68 years
Semi-major axis	2.38 au
Perihelion – aphelion	1.86 – 2.91 au
Eccentricity	0.220
Inclination	2.57°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	0.850 au

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

Also named after someone called Judith

All asteroids named after someone called Judith

Also discovered on 18 October 1977

More named asteroids discovered by S. J. Bus

All 464

← (8610) Goldhaber · (8612) Burov →