(550666) Difrancesco Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 23 October 2006 by D. D. Balam at Maunakea.
James DiFrancesco (b. 1968) is a Canadian astrophysicist at the Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre (National Research Council of Canada). He is the current director of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. His research interests include the earliest stages of the star-formation process.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #16, 4), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Difrancesco is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Difrancesco is 3.56 au from the Sun and 4.48 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 550666 |
| Provisional designation | 2012 SJ55 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.6 |
| Orbital period | 5.57 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.14 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.61 – 3.67 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.167 |
| Inclination | 11.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.62 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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