(52246) Donaldjohanson Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
American paleoanthropologist Donald Carl Johanson (b. 1943) discovered the fossil of a female hominin australopithecine known as ‘Lucy’.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2015-12-25), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Donaldjohanson is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Donaldjohanson is 2.83 au from the Sun and 2.89 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 52246 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 EQ5 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.90 km (#13,007 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.103 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.61 |
| Orbital period | 3.68 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.38 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.94 – 2.83 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.187 |
| Inclination | 4.43° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.956 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Donald
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- (9295) Donaldyoung
- (9448) Donaldavies
- (11267) Donaldkessler
- (11419) Donjohnson
All asteroids named after someone called Donald
Also discovered on 2 March 1981
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- (3000) Leonardo
- (3121) Tamines
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- (3252) Johnny
- (3304) Pearce
- (3524) Schulz