(20481) Sharples Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 July 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.
David R. Sharples (b. 1992) is a finalist in the 2004 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC), a middle school science competition, for his physical science project. He attends the Chapin School, Princeton, New Jersey.Naming citation (20041028/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Sharples is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sharples is 2.49 au from the Sun and 2.08 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20481 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 NW37 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.88 |
| Orbital period | 3.72 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.40 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.12 – 2.69 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.119 |
| Inclination | 2.92° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.10 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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