(163641) Nichol Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 October 2002 by Sloan Digital Sky Survey at Apache Point.
Robert Nichol (b. 1966) is an British observational cosmologist and a long-term contributor to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, well known for appearing on The David Letterman Show.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #12, 10), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Nichol is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Nichol is 3.08 au from the Sun and 4.05 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 163641 |
| Provisional designation | 2002 UC68 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.97 |
| Orbital period | 5.20 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.00 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.67 – 3.33 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.111 |
| Inclination | 10.3° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.66 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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