(8796) Sonnett Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
Sarah Sonnett (b. 1984) is a postdoctoral fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Through light curve analysis, she studies the rotational properties and shapes of small bodies throughout the solar system. She also analyzes asteroid survey images to search for main-belt comets.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2014-07-12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Sonnett is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sonnett is 2.18 au from the Sun and 1.21 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8796 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 EA12 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 5.18 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.61 |
| Orbital period | 3.34 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.24 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.06 – 2.41 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0802 |
| Inclination | 2.17° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.07 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Sarah
- (10485) Sarahyeomans
- (12519) Pullen
- (13403) Sarahmousa
- (17094) Sarahsyed
- (18021) Waldman
- (18768) Sarahbates
- (18855) Sarahgutman
- (18954) Sarahbounds
- (19584) Sarahgerin
- (20700) Saraheanderson
- (20768) Langberg
- (21927) Sarahpierz
All asteroids named after someone called Sarah
Also discovered on 7 March 1981
- (5365) Fievez
- (6030) Zolensky
- (8798) Tarantino
- (9278) Matera
- (9284) Juansanchez
- (9528) Kuppers
- (9923) Ronaldthiel
- (16372) Demichele
More named asteroids discovered by S. J. Bus
- (2285) Ron Helin
- (2780) Monnig
- (2791) Paradise
- (2884) Reddish
- (2919) Dali
- (2980) Cameron
- (2981) Chagall
- (2990) Trimberger
- (3000) Leonardo
- (3029) Sanders
- (3030) Vehrenberg
- (3042) Zelinsky
← (8795) Dudorov · (8797) Duffard →