(156631) Margitan Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 May 2002 by NEAT at Palomar.
In multiple managerial roles and as an atmospheric research scientist, James Margitan (b. 1951) set the standard for scientific and strategic leadership in the JPL Science Division from 1981 to 2016.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2016-08-18), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Margitan is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Margitan is 3.28 au from the Sun and 2.83 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 156631 |
| Provisional designation | 2002 JM8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.6 |
| Orbital period | 5.50 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.12 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.39 – 3.84 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.233 |
| Inclination | 17.5° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.44 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.