(12871) Samarasinha Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 June 1998 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.
Beginning with his demonstration of the excited rotational state of 1P/Halley, Nalin H. Samarasinha (b. 1958), of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, has carried out many studies of the dynamical evolution of cometary nuclei and the related dynamical processes of dust in cometary comae.Naming citation (20020724/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Samarasinha is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Samarasinha is 1.89 au from the Sun and 1.28 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12871 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 ML37 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.64 km (#13,592 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.367 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.22 |
| Orbital period | 3.42 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.27 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.88 – 2.66 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.171 |
| Inclination | 5.32° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.898 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 24 June 1998
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- (12535) Fazlurahman
- (12537) Kendriddle
- (12869) Ejiaga
- (12870) Rolandmeier
- (13246) Hannahshu
- (13247) Tianshi
- (13248) Fornasier
- (20395) Jacquet
- (20396) Jaemannkyeong
- (20397) Jamierobinson
- (21527) Horton