(4897) Tomhamilton Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 22 August 1987 by E. F. Helin at Palomar.
Thomas William Hamilton (b. 1939) determined radar and fuel requirements for the Apollo Project. Later he wrote shows (in a dozen languages and also for the deaf) for programmable planetaria, taught astronomy for 32 years and trained students to enter the planetarium field.Naming citation (20091004/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Tomhamilton is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Tomhamilton is 3.40 au from the Sun and 3.30 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 4897 |
| Provisional designation | 1987 QD6 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 13.7 km (#3,481 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.215 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.26 |
| Orbital period | 5.35 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.06 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.69 – 3.42 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.120 |
| Inclination | 11.1° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.70 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Thomas
- (4008) Corbin
- (4739) Tomahrens
- (4830) Thomascooley
- (5548) Thosharriot
- (6019) Telford
- (6361) Koppel
- (8236) Gainsborough
- (8382) Mann
- (8793) Thomasmuller
- (9460) McGlynn
- (9536) Statler
- (9584) Louchheim
All asteroids named after someone called Thomas