(142291) Dompfaff Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 12 September 2002 by E. W. Elst at Hoher List.
In the German catholic liturgy Dompfaff is the common name for a cardinal (priest). It is also the name of a beautiful small bird (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) with a red breast. Although endangered, it appears regularly in winter in the Eifel (Ardennes) near the Hoher List Observatory.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2016-04-22), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Dompfaff is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Dompfaff is 2.74 au from the Sun and 3.19 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 142291 |
| Provisional designation | 2002 RE138 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.12 |
| Orbital period | 3.78 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.43 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.07 – 2.79 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.147 |
| Inclination | 3.74° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.06 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.