(112660) Artlucas Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 August 2002 by J. Broughton at Reedy Creek.
US nuclear physicist Arthur Lucas (1931–2022) worked in multiple fields of research as diverse as particle accelerators and radiotherapy. In retirement he pursued an interest in astronomy, including occultations. He was IOTA's Secretary and Treasurer from 2001 to 2007, and he organized their annual meetings around well-observed occultations in 2005 and 2016.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #17, 23), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Artlucas is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Artlucas is 3.63 au from the Sun and 3.64 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 112660 |
| Provisional designation | 2002 PX86 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 8.01 km (#6,571 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0520 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.58 |
| Orbital period | 5.58 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.15 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.50 – 3.79 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.206 |
| Inclination | 11.4° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.48 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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