(2451) Dollfus Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 September 1980 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Named in honor of Audouin Dollfus, astronomer at the Observatoire de Paris, Meudon. Dollfus is renowned for his fundamental work on planetary polarimetry and ground-based imaging, including studies of Saturn's rings, the Martian and lunar surfaces, and the Venus atmosphere. Recently he has worked on the polarimetric properties of minor planets.Naming citation (MPC 6531), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Dollfus is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Dollfus is 2.98 au from the Sun and 2.48 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 2451 |
| Provisional designation | 1980 RQ |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 11.8 km (#4,150 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.288 |
| Rotation period | 48.0 hours |
| Spectral type | S |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 11.87 |
| Orbital period | 4.50 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.72 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.31 – 3.14 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.152 |
| Inclination | 8.59° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.30 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 2 September 1980
- (2316) Jo-Ann
- (2917) Sawyer Hogg
- (3217) Seidelmann
- (3255) Tholen
- (5364) Christophschafer
- (6280) Sicardy
- (8250) Cornell