(8521) Boulainvilliers Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 4 April 1992 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Named in memory of Henri de Boulainvilliers (1658-1722), French historian and political writer who influenced intellectual developments in the French Enlightenment. Claiming that historical studies can supply the tools for analyzing the present state of society, he worked out a theory of comparative historical study which approached the later writings of Montesquieu. In 1683 he published his L´Ideé d´un système geńeŕal de la Nature, which anticipated Holbach's Système de la Nature (1770). His Histoire de la religion et de la philosophie ancienne was published around 1700.Naming citation (19990402/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Boulainvilliers is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Boulainvilliers is 1.83 au from the Sun and 0.929 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8521 |
| Provisional designation | 1992 GF4 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.64 km (#13,619 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.279 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.48 |
| Orbital period | 3.31 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.22 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.82 – 2.63 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.181 |
| Inclination | 6.55° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.822 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Henri
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- (3820) Sauval
- (7763) Crabeels
- (8240) Matisse
- (10311) Fantin-Latour
- (11506) Toulouse-Lautrec
- (11763) Deslandres
- (12261) Ledouanier
- (12702) Panamarenko
- (12708) Van Straten
- (20358) Dalem
- (26183) Henrigodard
All asteroids named after someone called Henri
Also discovered on 4 April 1992
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- (7020) Yourcenar
- (7343) Ockeghem
- (8685) Faure
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- (10797) Guatemala
- (11908) Nicaragua
- (17506) Walschap