(20126) Sandfordasher Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 18 December 1995 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Sandford (Sandy) Asher (1947–2026) was an American planetary scientist and valued colleague on the NASA Mars 2020 mission. His pioneering work developing deep-UV Raman spectroscopy supported the development and operations of the SHERLOC instrument and the critical identification of minerals and organics on Mars.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #9, 12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Sandfordasher is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sandfordasher is 2.80 au from the Sun and 2.83 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20126 |
| Provisional designation | 1995 YM9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.87 |
| Orbital period | 5.16 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.99 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.67 – 3.30 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.106 |
| Inclination | 1.51° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.68 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.