(7177) Melvyntaylor Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 October 1990 by R. H. McNaught at Siding Spring.
Melvyn Douglas Taylor (1947–2017) was one of the UK's most active amateur astronomers, bequeathing an immense catalogue of visual observations of variable stars, meteors and comets. He promoted amateur astronomy locally and nationally for several decades and was a mentor to many newcomers.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #13, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Melvyntaylor is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Melvyntaylor is 2.42 au from the Sun and 2.17 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7177 |
| Provisional designation | 1990 TF |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.43 km (#7,178 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.266 |
| Rotation period | 3.29 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.27 |
| Orbital period | 4.41 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.69 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.17 – 3.21 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.192 |
| Inclination | 12.7° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.19 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.