(678191) 2017 OF69

(678191) 2017 OF69 is a numbered minor planet discovered in 2017. The designation "(678191)" indicates that it is a numbered asteroid in the main asteroid belt, meaning its orbit is well-determined and cataloged. The "2017 OF69" portion of the name is a provisional designation, assigned shortly after its discovery. This provisional designation follows a specific naming convention: the year (2017), followed by a letter indicating the half-month of discovery ("O" representing the second half of July), and then a combination of letters and numbers representing the order of discovery within that half-month ("F69" being the 1701st object discovered in that period).

Minor planets receive provisional designations upon discovery. Once their orbits are sufficiently well determined through repeated observations over a long enough period of time, they are assigned a permanent number, as is the case with (678191) 2017 OF69. Numbering signifies that the object's orbit is known with enough precision that its future positions can be accurately predicted, allowing it to be reliably re-observed. While a number is assigned, objects typically retain their provisional designation unless the discoverers propose, and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) approves, a formal name. As of now, (678191) 2017 OF69 does not have a formal name. Further information, such as orbital parameters, physical characteristics (size, albedo, composition), and potential for future study, would require consulting astronomical databases like the Minor Planet Center (MPC) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Small-Body Database.