106261

106261 is the permanent numerical designation of a minor planet in the Solar System. It is the 106,261st minor planet to receive a number from the Minor Planet Center after its orbit was determined well enough to confirm its status as a distinct object. The designation is used independently of any name the object may later receive.

In addition to the number, the object has (or may have) a provisional designation assigned at the time of discovery, which encodes the year and sequence of discovery. If the object is later given a name, the name appears in parentheses after the number, for example (106261) Name. Not all numbered minor planets receive names.

The orbital and physical properties of numbered minor planets are tracked by the Minor Planet Center and the JPL Small-Body Database. The specific orbit can place the object in a dynamical class such as a main-belt asteroid, a near-Earth object, or another population, and its orbital elements—such as semi-major axis, eccentricity, and inclination—define this classification. Physical characteristics, when known, may include estimates of size, albedo, and rotation.

For readers seeking the most current data on 106261, the Minor Planet Center and the JPL Small-Body Database provide up-to-date orbital elements, ephemerides, and discovery credits. These resources are routinely updated as new observations refine the orbit and other properties.

See also: List of minor planets: 106001–106500; Minor Planet Center; JPL Small-Body Database.