(10491) Chou Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 27 August 1986 by H. Debehogne at La Silla.
B. Ralph Chou (b. 1951) is Professor of optometry at the University of Waterloo and an authority on solar-eclipse eye safety. In over 50 years as an RASC volunteer, he served three terms as President of the RASC Toronto Centre, and as National Treasurer, Editor of the National Newsletter, Assistant Editor of the Journal of the RASC and a Member of National Council.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #15, 8), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
👶 Chou as a baby name🐶 Chou as a dog name
Where Chou is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Chou is 2.48 au from the Sun and 2.95 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 10491 |
| Provisional designation | 1986 QS1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.44 km (#14,118 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.311 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.41 |
| Orbital period | 3.53 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.32 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.97 – 2.66 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.149 |
| Inclination | 5.58° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.973 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Ralph
- (9003) Ralphmilliken
- (9850) Ralphcopeland
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- (9902) Kirkpatrick
- (11377) Nye
- (12956) Ralphwijers
- (13852) Ford
- (33594) Ralphlawton
- (50427) Ralphmerrifield
- (172191) Ralphmcnutt
All asteroids named after someone called Ralph