(9850) Ralphcopeland Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 October 1990 by R. H. McNaught at Siding Spring.
English-born Ralph Copeland (1837–1905) became the 3rd Astronomer Royal for Scotland. He made visual spectroscopic observations of comets, discovered planetary nebulae by visual spectroscopy, and nebulae using Lord Rosse's 72″ telescope. He traveled widely in a varied career that included observing two transits of Venus.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #1, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ralphcopeland is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ralphcopeland is 2.08 au from the Sun and 2.22 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 9850 |
| Provisional designation | 1990 TM5 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.39 |
| Orbital period | 3.65 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.37 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.05 – 2.69 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.135 |
| Inclination | 6.13° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.05 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Ralph
- (9003) Ralphmilliken
- (9881) Sampson
- (9902) Kirkpatrick
- (10491) Chou
- (11377) Nye
- (12956) Ralphwijers
- (13852) Ford
- (33594) Ralphlawton
- (50427) Ralphmerrifield
- (172191) Ralphmcnutt
All asteroids named after someone called Ralph
Also discovered on 9 October 1990
More named asteroids discovered by R. H. McNaught
- (3904) Honda
- (4093) Bennett
- (4128) UKSTU
- (4129) Richelen
- (4220) Flood
- (4456) Mawson
- (4499) Davidallen
- (4504) Jenkinson
- (4638) Estens
- (4667) Robbiesh
- (4678) Ninian
- (4679) Sybil
← (9848) Yugra · (9851) Sakamoto →