(13178) Catalan Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 18 April 1996 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Eugène Charles Catalan (1814–1894) was a French-Belgian mathematician, known in particular for the “Catalan numbers”. His left-wing convictions caused him to be expelled from the École Polytechnique in Paris. In 1865 the University of Liège honored him with the chair of Analysis.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #12, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Catalan is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Catalan is 3.23 au from the Sun and 2.27 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 13178 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 HF18 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 12.9 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.01 |
| Orbital period | 5.52 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.12 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.64 – 3.61 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.156 |
| Inclination | 3.42° |
| 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 Eugene
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- (32564) Glass
- (34524) Eugenerivera
- (34838) Lazowski
- (55397) Hackman
- (207319) Eugenemar
All asteroids named after someone called Eugene
Also discovered on 18 April 1996
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