(8858) Cornus Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 August 1991 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Named for Cornaceae, the dogwood family, with about 12 genera and 100 species of evergreens, deciduous trees and shrubs. Species include Cornus sanguinea (red dogwood) and Cornus florida (flowering dogwood).Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #9, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Cornus is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cornus is 2.79 au from the Sun and 3.09 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8858 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 PT7 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.83 km (#13,147 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.251 |
| Rotation period | 6.18 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.53 |
| Orbital period | 3.70 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.39 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.94 – 2.84 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.188 |
| Inclination | 2.19° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.929 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 6 August 1991
- (5447) Lallement
- (6404) Vanavara
- (7062) Meslier
- (8279) Cuzco
- (8672) Morse
- (8857) Cercidiphyllum
- (9342) Carygrant
- (9860) Archaeopteryx
- (10781) Ritter
- (12298) Brecht
- (13064) Haemhouts
- (15278) Paquet