61846

**61846**

61846 is a main-belt asteroid discovered on April 10, 1999, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program at the Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site near Socorro, New Mexico, USA. It was initially designated as 1999 HJ6 during its discovery. The asteroid has since been officially named after astronomer and mathematician **Susan Jane McMillan**, who contributed to the field of planetary science and asteroid research. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on October 24, 2000.

61846 orbits the Sun within the inner asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Its semi-major axis is approximately 2.56 astronomical units (AU), which places it roughly 384 million kilometers (239 million miles) from the Sun on average. The asteroid has an orbital eccentricity of about 0.13, indicating a moderately elliptical orbit, and an inclination of around 10.5 degrees relative to the ecliptic plane.

Observations have revealed that 61846 has a diameter of approximately 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles), based on thermal modeling and radar observations. Its surface appears to be relatively dark, with an albedo (reflectivity) around 0.04. The asteroid’s rotation period is estimated to be about 10.6 hours, suggesting a relatively slow spin. No moons or significant rotational irregularities have been confirmed for 61846 as of current astronomical data.

While 61846 does not pose an immediate threat to Earth, its discovery and ongoing monitoring are part of broader efforts to track near-Earth objects (NEOs) and understand their properties. The asteroid’s study contributes to the broader field of planetary science, aiding in the characterization of the asteroid belt and the dynamics of the Solar System.