(51663) Lovelock Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 May 2001 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.
James E. Lovelock (b. 1919) is a chemist, inventor, earth system scientist and author. He is best known for his founding and development of Gaia theory, in which he proposed that living and non-living parts of the earth form a complex interacting system that may in some ways be seen as a living entity.Naming citation (20090806/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Lovelock is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Lovelock is 2.17 au from the Sun and 1.43 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 51663 |
| Provisional designation | 2001 JL7 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.64 |
| Orbital period | 3.36 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.25 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.07 – 2.42 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0761 |
| Inclination | 4.38° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.09 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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