(20142) Joannaclark Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 8 September 1996 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Joanna V. Clark (b. 1991) is an American planetary scientist who is an expert on the stability of chlorate and perchlorate minerals. Her research on these salts is critical for interpreting data from the SHERLOC instrument on the Mars 2020 rover and understanding the preservation of organics on Mars.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #9, 12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Joannaclark is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Joannaclark is 2.42 au from the Sun and 2.54 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20142 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 RC12 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.57 km (#16,127 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.185 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.85 |
| Orbital period | 3.41 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.26 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.10 – 2.43 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0717 |
| Inclination | 4.94° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.12 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Joanna
All asteroids named after someone called Joanna