(7346) Boulanger Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 20 February 1993 by E. W. Elst at Caussols.
Nicolas Boulanger (1722-1759), a geologist and one of the Encyclopedists, believed that the irrational behavior of the human species, together with all the heritage of religious rites and much of the political of his own and other ages, were engendered in cataclysmic experiences.Naming citation (20020624/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Boulanger is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Boulanger is 2.85 au from the Sun and 2.88 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7346 |
| Provisional designation | 1993 DQ2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.38 km (#7,230 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.270 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.08 |
| Orbital period | 4.88 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.88 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.65 – 3.10 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0771 |
| Inclination | 3.19° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.66 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Nicolas
- (10303) Freret
- (12289) Carnot
- (12742) Delisle
- (12999) Torun
- (13583) Bosret
- (14054) Dusek
- (14411) Clerambault
- (18638) Nouet
- (20605) Rambaux
- (25747) Nicerasmus
- (26969) Biver
- (43843) Cleynaerts
All asteroids named after someone called Nicolas