(300821) Margaritasalas Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 November 2007 by OAM at La Sagra.
Margarita Salas Falgueras (1938–2019) was a prominent Spanish biochemist and molecular geneticist. She discovered the φ29 DNA polymerase, a revolutionary tool for DNA amplification used worldwide in biotechnology and forensics. A pioneer for women in science, she was a member of the Royal Spanish Academy and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #12, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Margaritasalas is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Margaritasalas is 3.10 au from the Sun and 4.09 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 300821 |
| Provisional designation | 2007 WH55 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.78 |
| Orbital period | 4.20 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.60 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.03 – 3.18 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.222 |
| Inclination | 1.93° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.02 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Margarita
All asteroids named after someone called Margarita