22471

22471 is a designation that can refer to various entities, but it is most commonly associated with an asteroid in the asteroid belt. The asteroid 22471 was discovered on April 22, 1994, by astronomers with the Spacewatch program at Kitt Peak National Observatory. It is part of the Main Asteroid Belt, which is a region of space located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter that contains numerous rocky bodies.

The asteroid 22471 has an approximate diameter of several kilometers and orbits the Sun with a period of around 3 to 4 years. Its orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis that places it within the middle region of the belt, and it has an eccentricity that causes its orbit to be slightly elongated. Like most asteroids, 22471's composition is believed to be primarily rocky or metallic, although detailed spectral studies may be limited.

As a celestial object, 22471 is of interest for research related to planetary formation and the history of our solar system. It is also a part of ongoing efforts to catalog and monitor near-Earth objects that could pose impact risks to Earth, although 22471 itself is not classified as a near-Earth asteroid.

The numbering "22471" is part of a sequential system assigned by the Minor Planet Center once an asteroid’s orbit has been reliably calculated. This helps astronomers and researchers track and study these objects systematically.

There is limited publicly available information on any specific missions or studies targeting 22471, and it remains classified as a typical main-belt asteroid within the broader context of solar system research.