(20550) Molnar-Bufanda Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 8 September 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.

Erica Molnar-Bufanda (b. 1992) is an American astronomer based at the University of Edinburgh. Erica’s work focuses on combining sublimation models and observations to study and understand the long-term activity of comets.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #11, 26), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Molnar-Bufanda is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsMolnar-BufandaMolnar-Bufanda

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Molnar-Bufanda is 2.34 au from the Sun and 2.70 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number20550
Provisional designation1999 RX110
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter4.37 km (#11,911 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.228
Absolute magnitude (H)14.41
Orbital period4.00 years
Semi-major axis2.52 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.33 – 2.71 au
Eccentricity0.0740
Inclination5.81°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.32 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Erica

Also discovered on 8 September 1999

More named asteroids discovered by LINEAR