19987

19987 is the provisional designation of a minor planet located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered on 12 March 1996 by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project at Lincoln Lab’s Experimental Test Site in Socorro, New Mexico. The asteroid was observed over a series of nights, enabling accurate calculation of its orbital elements. Its orbit has a semi-major axis of approximately 2.58 astronomical units, an eccentricity of about 0.12, and an inclination of 3.5 degrees relative to the ecliptic plane. Consequently, 19987 travels through the inner portion of the central main belt.

Physical parameters derived from lightcurve analyses indicate a rotation period of roughly 12.6 hours and a relatively low amplitude of brightness variation, suggesting a spheroidal shape. Estimates of its diameter, based on albedo assumptions of 0.15, place it at around 5.4 kilometers across. Spectroscopic studies classify it as a S-type asteroid, indicating a stony composition rich in silicate minerals and metal. No satellite has been detected, and the asteroid’s motion has not been linked to any significant Earth encounters.

The minor planet was eventually numbered by the Minor Planet Center as (19987) after its orbital elements were deemed well established. While it has not received a formal name, the number remains a unique identifier in the catalog of known asteroids, contributing to the broader understanding of the distribution and composition of main-belt bodies.