(9159) McDonnell Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 26 October 1984 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
J. A. M. (“Tony”) McDonnell (b. 1938) is recognized for his research on cosmic dust. With colleagues, he was the first to demonstrate the intact capture of space particulates in aerogel. He has flown instruments on a number of missions and has analyzed impact craters on lunar samples and satellite surfaces exposed to space.Naming citation (20000523/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where McDonnell is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: McDonnell is 2.47 au from the Sun and 3.02 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 9159 |
| Provisional designation | 1984 UD3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.03 |
| Orbital period | 3.59 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.34 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.08 – 2.61 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.115 |
| Inclination | 6.40° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.08 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 26 October 1984
More named asteroids discovered by E. Bowell
- (2246) Bowell
- (2264) Sabrina
- (2270) Yazhi
- (2316) Jo-Ann
- (2356) Hirons
- (2357) Phereclos
- (2383) Bradley
- (2409) Chapman
- (2410) Morrison
- (2411) Zellner
- (2421) Nininger
- (2432) Soomana
← (9158) Plate · (9161) Beaufort →