48798

48798 is a numerical identifier that appears in various contexts, including astronomy, computing, and data indexing. In astronomy, it is cataloged as a minor planet in the outer regions of the Solar System. Discovered on October 22, 1997, by astronomers at the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program, 48798 is classified as a member of the scattered disk, a region beyond Neptune populated by icy bodies influenced by the gravitational pull of the gas giants. Its provisional designation was initially 1997 SD21, and it was later assigned the permanent number 48798. The object has an elongated orbit with a high inclination, suggesting it may have been perturbed by Neptune or another massive planet in the early Solar System.

In other contexts, 48798 may appear as a reference number in databases, software versions, or internal documentation. For example, it could represent a unique identifier in a catalog, a build number in software development, or a code for a specific dataset. Without additional context, its exact meaning remains ambiguous, as numbers like this are often repurposed across different fields.

Due to its astronomical classification, 48798 is not considered a significant threat to Earth, as its orbit does not bring it close to the inner Solar System. Its study contributes to understanding the dynamics of distant, icy bodies and the evolution of the outer Solar System. For those interested in tracking its position, astronomical databases and observatories provide real-time orbital data.