(8030) Williamknight Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 September 1991 by R. H. McNaught at Siding Spring.
Air Force test pilot William Knight (1929-2004) was the tenth pilot to fly the X-15 and made a total of 16 flights. These included the fastest X-15 flight, which reached Mach 6.7, and another flight to 69600 meters for which he received astronaut wings.Naming citation (20120207/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Williamknight is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Williamknight is 3.05 au from the Sun and 2.09 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8030 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 SK |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 20.6 km (#2,129 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0490 |
| Rotation period | 186 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.08 |
| Orbital period | 5.81 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.23 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 3.02 – 3.45 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0658 |
| Inclination | 7.20° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 2.01 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called William
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- (2220) Hicks
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- (3894) Williamcooke
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- (4423) Golden
- (4838) Billmclaughlin
- (5345) Boynton
- (5763) Williamtobin
- (6012) Williammurdoch
- (6613) Williamcarl
- (6756) Williamfeldman
All asteroids named after someone called William