202988

202988 is the sequential numerical designation given to a small Solar System body, specifically a minor planet, by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center after its orbit has been sufficiently well determined. The number serves as a formal entry in the catalog of minor planets and indicates that the object's orbital solution is considered secure. Numbers are assigned in increasing order as newly confirmed objects are added to the catalog.

Discovery and designation: Before a number is assigned, the object typically receives a provisional designation that encodes its year of discovery and observing sequence. Once observations over multiple oppositions yield a reliable orbit, the Minor Planet Center awards a number. The object may later be given a name, though many remain unnamed.

Classification and naming: The numeric designation itself does not specify the object's physical type, composition, or origin. Minor planets with numbers can belong to various populations, including main-belt asteroids, near-Earth objects, or outer Solar System members. Naming is a separate process that requires a suggested name and approval by the appropriate committees.

Data and references: Information about 202988, like that of other numbered minor planets, is maintained in public databases such as the Minor Planet Center's archive and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Small-Body Database. These resources provide orbital elements, absolute magnitude, and, when available, estimates of size and albedo, along with discovery history and observational records.

See also: Minor planet, Provisional designation, Minor Planet Center.