(180940) Bighornfire Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 17 June 2005 by Mt. Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon.
Named in honor of all firefighting personnel and organizations who tirelessly fought and suppressed the Bighorn wildfire which scorched 120 000 acres of forest in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona in summer 2020. Their heroic efforts kept thousands of people safe, and saved the astronomical facilities located there.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #1, 23), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Bighornfire is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Bighornfire is 2.13 au from the Sun and 3.04 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 180940 |
| Provisional designation | 2005 ML2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.11 |
| Orbital period | 3.59 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.34 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.93 – 2.75 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.175 |
| Inclination | 3.91° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.918 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.