5656 Oldfield, provisional designation, is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7.7 km in diameter. It was discovered on 8 October 1920, by astronomer Walter Baade at the Bergedorf Observatory in Hamburg, Germany. The asteroid was named for English musician Mike Oldfield.

Orbit and classification

Oldfield is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–3.1 AU once every 3 years and 10 months (1,409 days; semi-major axis of 2.46 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.26 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins at Bergedorf two nights after its official discovery observation.

Physical characteristics

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Oldfield measures 7.691 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.075.

Rotation period

As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of Oldfield has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, poles and shape remain unknown.

Naming

This minor planet was named after English composer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield (born 1953), creator of the famed Tubular Bells albums. The official naming citation was proposed by Gareth V. Williams and published by the Minor Planet Center on 25 April 1994 (M.P.C. 23353).