(7220) Philnicholson Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 August 1981 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Named in honor Philip D. Nicholson (b. 1951), professor of astronomy at Cornell University, an Australian by birth. Nicholson's research centers on the orbital dynamics of planetary ring systems and natural satellites, and infrared observational studies of planets, their satellites and rings. He has also investigated the dynamics of a planetary system around the pulsar PSR 1257+12 and has studied the zodiacal dust bands. Nicholson is codiscoverer of two irregular satellites of Uranus and is currently editor of the journal Icarus, which is devoted to planetary science.Naming citation (19981005/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Philnicholson is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Philnicholson is 1.92 au from the Sun and 1.16 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7220 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 QE |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.54 km (#13,847 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.340 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.17 |
| Orbital period | 3.76 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.42 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.90 – 2.94 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.216 |
| Inclination | 1.09° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.895 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Philip
- (4448) Phildavis
- (6580) Philbland
- (7277) Klass
- (8338) Ralhan
- (8615) Philipgrahamgood
- (9004) Peekaydee
- (10030) Philkeenan
- (11581) Philipdejager
- (11790) Goode
- (13112) Montmorency
- (15766) Strahlenberg
- (17797) Philfrankel
All asteroids named after someone called Philip
Also discovered on 30 August 1981
- (2730) Barks
- (2863) Ben Mayer
- (2871) Schober
- (3087) Beatrice Tinsley
- (3123) Dunham
- (3832) Shapiro
- (4021) Dancey
- (4433) Goldstone
- (5272) Dickinson
- (9001) Slettebak
- (9531) Jean-Luc
- (10029) Hiramperkins