(50426) Mikemerrifield Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 26 February 2000 by CSS at Catalina.
Michael Merrifield (b. 1964) is a British emeritus professor of astronomy at the University of Nottingham specializing in galaxy evolution and structure. He co-authored the textbook Galactic Astronomy and contributed to the YouTube channels “Sixty Symbols” and “Deep Sky Videos”, where he explains astronomy and physics to a wide audience.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #19, 7), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Mikemerrifield is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Mikemerrifield is 3.11 au from the Sun and 3.80 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 50426 |
| Provisional designation | 2000 DJ15 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.06 km (#8,827 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.100 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.31 |
| Orbital period | 5.41 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.08 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.85 – 3.31 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0744 |
| Inclination | 10.5° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.86 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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