(16269) Merkord Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 May 2000 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Named in honor of Pat Merkord for mentoring a finalist in the 2002 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. Merkord is a teacher at the John B. Connally High School, Austin, Texas.Naming citation (20020227/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Merkord is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Merkord is 3.67 au from the Sun and 4.62 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 16269 |
| Provisional designation | 2000 JP44 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.09 km (#7,521 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0380 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.6 |
| Orbital period | 5.47 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.10 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.54 – 3.67 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.182 |
| Inclination | 0.761° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.53 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Pat
All asteroids named after someone called Pat
Also discovered on 7 May 2000
- (15635) Andrewhager
- (16262) Rikurtz
- (16264) Richlee
- (16265) Lemay
- (16266) Johconnell
- (16267) Mcdermott
- (16268) Mcneeley
- (16276) Virginiama
- (18088) Roberteunice
- (20765) Yifeijiao
- (22102) Karenlamb
- (23176) Missacarvell