(549961) Foldesistvan Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 23 November 2011 by A. Pál K. Sárneczky at Piszkesteto.
István Földes (1908–1977) was a Hungarian astronomer and mathematician. From 1949 to 1974, he was the head of the Department of Astronomy at the Eötvös Loránd University. His main field of research was celestial mechanics and he gave popular lectures on astronomy on the radio.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #7, 15), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Foldesistvan is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Foldesistvan is 2.56 au from the Sun and 3.01 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 549961 |
| Provisional designation | 2011 WQ31 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.94 |
| Orbital period | 4.27 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.63 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.27 – 3.00 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.139 |
| Inclination | 12.0° |
| 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 named after someone called Istvan
All asteroids named after someone called Istvan