(7732) Ralphpass Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Palomar.
After receiving a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Maryland in 1978, Ralph Pass (b. 1946) worked at NASA for 11 years supporting the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. He is an avid amateur astronomer who has taught astronomy and served as Director of the Observatory at Merrimack College in Massachusetts.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #7, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ralphpass is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ralphpass is 2.68 au from the Sun and 3.38 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7732 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 VE9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.75 km (#6,828 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.268 |
| Rotation period | 3.40 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.9 |
| Orbital period | 5.01 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.93 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.64 – 3.22 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0992 |
| Inclination | 1.13° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.62 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 7 November 1978
- (2324) Janice
- (2440) Educatio
- (2499) Brunk
- (2611) Boyce
- (2725) David Bender
- (2925) Beatty
- (3240) Laocoon
- (3449) Abell
- (3651) Friedman
- (3718) Dunbar
- (3926) Ramirez
- (4012) Geballe