2598 Merlin
2598 Merlin, provisional designation , is a carbonaceous Dorian asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 7 September 1980, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. The asteroid was named after the legendary wizard Merlin in Arthurian legend. Classification and orbit. "Merlin" is a member of the Dora family (), a well-established central asteroid family of more than 1,200 carbonaceous asteroids. The family's namesake is 668 Dora. It is alternatively known as the "Zhongolovich family", named after its  presumably largest member 1734 Zhongolovich. The Dora family may also contain a subfamily. "Merlin" orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.2–3.4 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,694 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.22 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic. In Nombember 1948, the asteroid was first identified at Uccle Observatory, where the body's observation arc begins 32 years prior to its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa. Physical characteristics. In the SMASS classification, "Merlin" a Ch-type asteroid, a hydrated subtype of the  broader carbonaceous C-complex. According to the surveys carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, "Merlin" measures 15.694 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.049. Lightcurves. As of 2017, no rotational lightcurve of "Merlin" has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period and shape remain unknown. Naming. This minor planet was named after the sage and sorcerer Merlin, featured mentor of King Arthur in Arthurian legend and medieval Welsh poetry. His magic enabled Arthur to pull Excalibur from the rock and become the "rightwise king born  of all England". The name was suggested by F. Pilcher. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 4 August 1982 (). Notes. There is a book titled Merlin's Tour of the Universe, in which a fictitious character, called Merlin, answers all curious questions a layman would have about astronomy and the solar system. In the book, Merlin's favorite asteroid is Merlin 2598.