(20023) Jackmegas Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 9 January 1992 by E. F. Helin at Palomar.

Jack Megas (b. 1946) is a long-time planetarium educator at the Springfield Science Museum in Massachusetts, USA. He is a past president of the Springfield STARS Club and is a founder of the Connecticut River Valley Astronomers Conjunction. For decades, he has been sharing his knowledge and love of astronomy with the public.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #13, 15), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Jackmegas is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsJackmegasJackmegas

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Jackmegas is 2.35 au from the Sun and 3.27 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number20023
Provisional designation1992 AR
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter7.15 km (#7,457 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.0790
Absolute magnitude (H)14.18
Orbital period4.27 years
Semi-major axis2.63 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.14 – 3.12 au
Eccentricity0.186
Inclination10.7°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.16 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Jack

Also discovered on 9 January 1992

More named asteroids discovered by E. F. Helin