(172985) Ericmelin Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 27 April 2006 by M. W. Buie at Cerro Tololo.
Eric D. Melin (b. 1977) is a software engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and served as the Ground Systems Lead for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-09-25), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ericmelin is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ericmelin is 2.21 au from the Sun and 1.47 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 172985 |
| Provisional designation | 2006 HW147 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 18.22 |
| Orbital period | 3.80 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.43 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.95 – 2.92 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.198 |
| Inclination | 0.591° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.943 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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