(12248) Russellcarpenter Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 September 1988 by S. J. Bus at Cerro Tololo.
James Russell Carpenter (b. 1966) contributed to NASA's OSIRIS-REx and Lucy asteroid missions as the Goddard Space Flight Center Technical Deputy Manager for Space Science Mission Operations. In addition to helping fly spacecraft, he also navigates sailboats and small aircraft.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #9, 11), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Russellcarpenter is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Russellcarpenter is 3.05 au from the Sun and 3.10 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12248 |
| Provisional designation | 1988 RX12 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.18 |
| Orbital period | 5.24 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.02 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.71 – 3.32 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.102 |
| Inclination | 9.80° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.71 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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