(7972) Mariotti Outer Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 25 March 1971 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Named in memory of Jean-Marie Mariotti (1955-1998), French astronomer, most recently in Garching at the European Southern Observatory. He led the pioneering project to establish optical interferometry with the new Very Large Telescope as a breakthrough new astronomical instrument for the next century. His interest was in the area of high angular resolution, and he was involved in interferometric projects both on the ground (e.g., FLUOR and VLTI) and in space (DARWIN). He hoped with these techniques to find low-mass companions, and ultimately planets, outside our solar system. He had an extraordinarily effective mix of technical expertise and scientific eagerness. Name proposed and citation prepared by R. Le Poole.Naming citation (19981208/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Mariotti is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Mariotti is 3.29 au from the Sun and 2.56 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	7972
Provisional designation	1174 T-1
Orbit class	Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.71
Orbital period	5.82 years
Semi-major axis	3.24 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.82 – 3.65 au
Eccentricity	0.129
Inclination	0.473°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.83 au

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

Also named after someone called Marie

All asteroids named after someone called Marie

Also discovered on 25 March 1971

More named asteroids discovered by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T.

All 958

← (7971) Meckbach · (7973) Koppeschaar →