(78383) Philmassey Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 August 2002 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.
Philip Massey (b. 1952), an astronomer at Lowell Observatory, studies massive stars, young clusters, the initial mass function, and star formation.Naming citation (20110615/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Philmassey is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Philmassey is 2.68 au from the Sun and 3.26 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 78383 |
| Provisional designation | 2002 PM137 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.75 |
| Orbital period | 4.46 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.71 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.54 – 2.88 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0635 |
| Inclination | 5.16° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.55 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Philip
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- (11790) Goode
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All asteroids named after someone called Philip