(129773) Catmerrill Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 8 May 1999 by CSS at Catalina.
Catherine Merrill (b. 1979) was the Lead Systems Engineer and Deputy Program Manager for the OCAMS camera on the OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Mission, involved in all aspects of its development and delivery. She is presently the project manager of the primary mirror system for the Giant Magellan Telescope.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2016-11-14), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Catmerrill is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Catmerrill is 2.63 au from the Sun and 2.86 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 129773 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 JJ1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.65 |
| Orbital period | 3.55 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.33 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.90 – 2.75 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.182 |
| Inclination | 6.05° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.897 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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