(7861) Messenger Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
Scott R. Messenger (b. 1969) is a space scientist at NASA's Johnson Space Center. He pioneered research on the identification of pre-solar molecular cloud material in interplanetary dust particles.Naming citation (20060809/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Messenger is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Messenger is 2.61 au from the Sun and 3.52 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7861 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 EK25 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.82 km (#15,623 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.321 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.61 |
| Orbital period | 3.81 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.44 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.02 – 2.86 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.173 |
| Inclination | 1.96° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.00 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Scott
- (4642) Murchie
- (8802) Negley
- (9544) Scottbirney
- (10191) Scottbolton
- (10514) Harlow
- (12668) Scottstarin
- (14698) Scottyoung
- (15779) Scottroberts
- (16035) Sasandford
- (16039) Zeglin
- (16094) Scottmccord
- (17783) Scottbrunner
All asteroids named after someone called Scott
Also discovered on 2 March 1981
- (2884) Reddish
- (2919) Dali
- (2980) Cameron
- (2981) Chagall
- (2990) Trimberger
- (3000) Leonardo
- (3121) Tamines
- (3122) Florence
- (3207) Spinrad
- (3252) Johnny
- (3304) Pearce
- (3524) Schulz