(22281) Popescu Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 August 1985 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Marcel Popescu (b. 1983) is a specialist in asteroid spectroscopy at the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest. His particular contributions are in the spectral characterization of near-Earth asteroids and their mineralogical modeling.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2014-07-12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Popescu is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Popescu is 2.44 au from the Sun and 1.76 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 22281 |
| Provisional designation | 1985 PC |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.46 km (#14,088 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.407 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.14 |
| Orbital period | 3.36 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.24 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.99 – 2.49 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.111 |
| Inclination | 3.23° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.978 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Marcel
- (10306) Pagnol
- (10403) Marcelgrun
- (12275) Marcelgoffin
- (23946) Marcelleroux
- (26883) Marcelproust
- (30307) Marcelriesz
- (31378) Neidinger
- (37044) Papymarcel
- (85183) Marcelayme
- (99262) Bleustein
- (135978) Agueros
- (184878) Gotlib
All asteroids named after someone called Marcel
Also discovered on 14 August 1985
- (3327) Campins
- (4338) Velez
- (4373) Crespo
- (4570) Runcorn
- (4664) Hanner
- (4694) Festou
- (7640) Marzari
- (8075) Roero
- (9013) Sansaturio
- (9300) Johannes
- (10042) Budstewart
- (10043) Janegann