(8753) Nycticorax Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Named for Nycticorax nycticorax, or night heron.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #8, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Nycticorax is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsNycticoraxNycticorax

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Nycticorax is 1.90 au from the Sun and 2.83 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number8753
Provisional designation2636 P-L
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Absolute magnitude (H)15.04
Orbital period3.54 years
Semi-major axis2.32 au
Perihelion – aphelion1.88 – 2.76 au
Eccentricity0.189
Inclination2.85°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)0.872 au

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

Also discovered on 24 September 1960

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