(12676) Dianemerline Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 February 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
Diane Elizabeth Miller Merline (b. 1959) contributed to the Lucy asteroid mission as an administrative coordinator. She served a similar role for the Cassini imaging-team lead. She joined SwRI in 2001 performing various administrative functions for the New Horizons mission. Prior to this she was at LPL and NRAO.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #8, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Dianemerline is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Dianemerline is 3.39 au from the Sun and 4.05 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12676 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 DU1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.24 km (#12,173 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.247 |
| Rotation period | 10.2 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.95 |
| Orbital period | 4.92 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.89 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.38 – 3.40 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.176 |
| Inclination | 11.7° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.40 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Diane
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- (14275) Dianemurray
- (17241) Wooden
- (18077) Dianeingrao
- (18184) Dianepark
- (19741) Callahan
- (22171) Choi
- (28331) Dianeberard
- (33004) Dianesipiera
- (129167) Dianelambert
- (262825) Dianearbus
All asteroids named after someone called Diane
Also discovered on 28 February 1981
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- (2958) Arpetito
- (3287) Olmstead
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- (3602) Lazzaro
- (3805) Goldreich
- (4052) Crovisier
- (4192) Breysacher
- (4473) Sears
- (4523) MIT
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