204447

204447 is the designation for an asteroid. It was discovered on November 2, 2001, by the LINEAR program, which stands for Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research. This program was a U.S. Air Force research project conducted at the Lincoln Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The primary goal of LINEAR was to detect and track near-Earth asteroids.

Asteroids are rocky, airless worlds that orbit our sun. They are too small to be called planets. Most of them are found in the asteroid belt, a region between Mars and Jupiter. However, some asteroids have orbits that bring them closer to Earth, which are known as near-Earth asteroids. The discovery of 204447 by LINEAR falls under this category.

The astronomical object 204447 is classified as a near-Earth asteroid. Its orbit is characterized by certain parameters that allow scientists to predict its path through space. The numbering system used for asteroids, like 204447, is assigned by the Minor Planet Center, which is the official body responsible for collecting observational data and confirming the orbits of minor planets. Once an asteroid's orbit is well-determined, it is given a permanent number. The discovery date and the observatory that identified it are also part of its initial record. Further observations and studies are conducted by astronomers to understand its size, composition, and potential hazards.