(7981) Katieoakman Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Palomar.
Katie Oakman (b. 1964) contributed to NASA's Lucy Trojan asteroid mission as the Spacecraft Structures and Mechanisms Lead. She led a team of mechanical engineers to design, analyze, fabricate, and test the Lucy spacecraft structures and mechanisms, and oversee the development of the 7.3m solar array wings.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #9, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Katieoakman is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Katieoakman is 2.80 au from the Sun and 2.38 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7981 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 VL10 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.67 km (#9,460 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.219 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.74 |
| Orbital period | 4.91 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.89 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.59 – 3.19 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.104 |
| Inclination | 1.97° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.60 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Katie
- (12753) Povenmire
- (16245) Katielu
- (17960) Liberatore
- (19658) Sloop
- (19766) Katiedavis
- (24548) Katieeverett
- (25131) Katiemelua
All asteroids named after someone called Katie
Also discovered on 7 November 1978
- (2324) Janice
- (2440) Educatio
- (2499) Brunk
- (2611) Boyce
- (2725) David Bender
- (2925) Beatty
- (3240) Laocoon
- (3449) Abell
- (3651) Friedman
- (3718) Dunbar
- (3926) Ramirez
- (4012) Geballe