(11946) Bayle Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 August 1993 by E. W. Elst at Caussols.
French philosopher Pierre Bayle (1647-1706) wrote the Dictionnaire historique et critique. Because it deliberately tried to destroy orthodox Christian beliefs, he aroused the ire of many of his colleagues. In 1682 he published some reflections on the comet of 1680, deriding the superstition that comets presage catastrophes.Naming citation (20000523/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Bayle is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Bayle is 2.81 au from the Sun and 2.71 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 11946 |
| Provisional designation | 1993 PB7 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 14.2 km (#3,339 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0550 |
| Rotation period | 14.0 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.18 |
| Orbital period | 5.56 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.14 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.66 – 3.62 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.152 |
| Inclination | 0.527° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.65 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Pierre
- (2190) Coubertin
- (5439) Couturier
- (5442) Drossart
- (5523) Luminet
- (8190) Bouguer
- (10139) Ronsard
- (11401) Pierralba
- (12007) Fermat
- (12042) Laques
- (12324) Van Rompaey
- (12580) Antonini
- (13602) Pierreboulez
All asteroids named after someone called Pierre
Also discovered on 15 August 1993
- (9377) Metz
- (9629) Servet
- (9630) Castellion
- (10137) Thucydides
- (11309) Malus
- (11945) Amsterdam
- (11947) Kimclijsters
- (20060) Johannforster
- (100122) Alpes-Maritimes