(7863) Turnbull Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 November 1981 by B. A. Skiff at Anderson Mesa.
Margaret A. (“Maggie”) Turnbull (b. 1975), a graduate student in astronomy, has among her goals the study of the nature of life and intelligence as part of the universe.Naming citation (19990928/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Turnbull is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Turnbull is 3.14 au from the Sun and 2.98 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7863 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 VK |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 11.7 km (#4,192 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0810 |
| Rotation period | 8.90 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.48 |
| Orbital period | 5.55 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.13 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.58 – 3.68 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.175 |
| Inclination | 0.722° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.58 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 2 November 1981
- (2525) O'Steen
- (2588) Flavia
- (3434) Hurless
- (5049) Sherlock
- (11823) Christen
- (13001) Woodney
- (13487) Novosyadlyj