1980 RY. Discovered 1980 Sept. 7 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.

Named for the sage and sorcerer of the Arthurian legends. Merlin’s magic enabled Arthur {see planet(2597)} to pull the sword Excalibur from the rock and thereby become king. Afterward, Arthur continued to rely heavily on Merlin for advice in running his kingdom. When Merlin withdrew from the scene, Arthur could not guide the kingdom successfully on his wisdom alone. (M 7157)

Name proposed by F. Pilcher.