25924 Douglasadams

25924 Douglasadams

Discovery[1] and designation
Discovered by	LINEAR
Discovery date	19 February 2001
Designations
Alternative names	2001 DA42
Minor planet category	Main belt
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch May 19, 2011 (JD 2455700.5)
Aphelion	2.817 AU (421.387 Gm)
Perihelion	2.012 AU (301.041 Gm)
Semi-major axis	2.415 AU (361.214 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.167
Orbital period	3.75 a (1370.431 d)
Average orbital speed	19.03 km/s
Mean anomaly	167.068°
Inclination	1.729°
Longitude of ascending node	307.350°
Physical characteristics
Geometric albedo	0.10
Temperature	~179 K
Absolute magnitude (H)	15.4

25924 Douglasadams is an asteroid from the asteroid belt. It was discovered by LINEAR on February 19, 2001 and given the provisional designation 2001 DA₄₂. It was named for novelist Douglas Adams, because its provisional designation happened to contain the year of his death, his initials, and the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything (42), as given in his novel serial The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

See also

• List of minor planets: 25001–26000
• 18610 Arthurdent

References

• Asteroid named after ‘Hitchhiker’ humorist: Late British sci-fi author honored after cosmic campaign by Alan Boyle, MSNBC, Jan. 25, 2005