196566

196566 is the numerical designation for a minor planet in the Solar System. It is included in the official catalog of small Solar System bodies maintained by the Minor Planet Center (MPC). As a numbered minor planet, its orbit has been determined well enough to assign the permanent number, and it is typically referred to by this numeral rather than by a name.

Most numbered minor planets in this range are main-belt asteroids, which orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The precise orbital elements are recorded by the MPC and are subject to refinement as additional observations become available. Physical characteristics such as diameter, albedo, rotation period, and spectral type for 196566 are not widely published in public summaries; estimates, when available, depend on assumed reflectivity.

196566 was identified through asteroid surveys and, after enough observations established a reliable orbit, received its permanent number from the MPC. The full discovery details—such as the discovering observatory and date—are kept in MPC records.

To date, 196566 has not been assigned a formal name and is usually referred to by its number in scientific contexts.

For more information, see the Minor Planet Center database entry for 196566.