(8722) Schirra Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 19 August 1996 by R. G. Davis at Granville.

Walter M. Schirra, Jr. (b. 1923), the only astronaut to command Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, performed missions enabling the success of the manned lunar landings. His mastery of the celestial sphere and awareness of his orientation within it distinguish Schirra as a practical astronomer and master astronaut.Naming citation (20001013/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Schirra is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Schirra is 2.10 au from the Sun and 2.10 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	8722
Provisional designation	1996 QU1
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	4.78 km (#11,048 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.213
Rotation period	2.31 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)	14.25
Orbital period	3.69 years
Semi-major axis	2.39 au
Perihelion – aphelion	1.67 – 3.10 au
Eccentricity	0.300
Inclination	5.84°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	0.676 au

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

Also named after someone called Walter

All asteroids named after someone called Walter

Also discovered on 19 August 1996

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