(9289) Balau Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 26 August 1981 by H. Debehogne at La Silla.
The Balau area, near Costigliole d'Asti (Piedmont, Italy), is renowned for its natural beauty, its agricultural products and the wines (both red and white) produced there. Name suggested by M. Di Martino and A. Carbonere.Naming citation (20121228/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Balau is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Balau is 2.44 au from the Sun and 3.32 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 9289 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 QR3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.30 km (#8,499 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.274 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.38 |
| Orbital period | 4.19 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.60 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.19 – 3.01 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.158 |
| Inclination | 13.5° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.19 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.