1949da

1949 DA is the provisional designation of a minor planet (asteroid) that was observed in 1949. Provisional designations are assigned by the Minor Planet Center to newly discovered bodies before their orbits are sufficiently well determined to receive a permanent number and, if applicable, a formal name.

The designation format encodes the year of discovery, a letter that indicates the half-month of discovery, and a sequence code that identifies the order of discovery within that interval. This system provides a temporary, unique identifier for objects while follow-up observations refine their orbital calculations.

In many cases, objects designated with an early provisional code such as 1949 DA may later be assigned a number and possibly a name if their orbits become well established. If a name is approved, the object is then referenced by the number and name in official catalogs.

Detailed orbital and physical information for 1949 DA (such as its orbital class, semi-major axis, eccentricity, inclination, diameter, and albedo) is maintained in astronomical databases. Because provisional designations date from mid-20th century, public summaries may vary in availability; researchers typically consult the JPL Small-Body Database or the Minor Planet Center for the most up-to-date data.

See also: Provisional designation, Minor Planet Center, List of minor planets, JPL Small-Body Database.