(444411) Lutherbeegle Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 25 December 2005 by Mt. Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon.
Luther Beegle (b. 1966) is an American planetary scientist and Principal Investigator for the SHERLOC instrument on the Mars 2020 Rover. He led the development and integration of SHERLOC and then led a diverse international team exploring Mars to search for life and prepare for sample return.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #2, 8), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Lutherbeegle is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Lutherbeegle is 2.25 au from the Sun and 1.59 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 444411 |
| Provisional designation | 2006 AR51 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 18.03 |
| Orbital period | 3.67 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.38 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.23 – 2.53 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0633 |
| Inclination | 2.18° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.23 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Luther
All asteroids named after someone called Luther