Editing 2598 Merlin (section)

{{Short description|Carbonaceous Dorian asteroid}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox planet
 | minorplanet     = yes
 | name            = 2598 Merlin
 | background      = #D6D6D6
 | image           = 
 | image_size      = 
 | caption         = 
 | discovery_ref   = <ref name="jpldata" />
 | discovered      = 7 September 1980
 | discoverer      = [[Edward Bowell|E. Bowell]]
 | discovery_site  = [[Anderson Mesa Station|Anderson Mesa Stn.]]
 | mpc_name        = (2598) Merlin
 | alt_names       = 1980 RY{{·}}1948 WH<br />{{mp|1971 TD|3}}
 | pronounced      = 
 | named_after     = {{nowrap|[[Merlin]] {{small|([[Arthurian legend]])}}<ref name="springer" />}}
 | mp_category     = [[main-belt]]{{·}}[[Dora family|Dora]]<ref name="Broz-2013" />
 | orbit_ref       = <ref name="jpldata" />
 | epoch           = 4 September 2017 ([[Julian day|JD]] 2458000.5)
 | uncertainty     = 0
 | observation_arc = 68.44 yr (24,998 days)
 | aphelion        = 3.3861 [[Astronomical unit|AU]]
 | perihelion      = 2.1757 AU
 | semimajor       = 2.7809 AU
 | eccentricity    = 0.2176
 | period          = 4.64 [[Julian year (astronomy)|yr]] (1,694 days)
 | mean_anomaly    = 297.39[[Degree (angle)|°]]
 | mean_motion     = {{Deg2DMS|0.2125|sup=ms}} / day
 | inclination     = 7.7767°
 | asc_node        = 197.77°
 | arg_peri        = 217.28°
 | dimensions      = {{val|15.694|0.047}} km<ref name="Masiero-2011" />
 | rotation        =  
 | albedo          = {{val|0.049|0.010}}<ref name="Masiero-2011" />
 | spectral_type   = [[SMASS classification|SMASS]] = Ch<ref name="jpldata" />
 | abs_magnitude   = 13.2<ref name="jpldata" />
}}

'''2598 Merlin''', provisional designation {{mp|1980 RY}}, 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.<ref name="MPC-Merlin" /> The asteroid was named after the legendary wizard [[Merlin]] in Arthurian legend.<ref name="springer" />