(11969) Gay-Lussac Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 10 August 1994 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850) was a French chemist and physicist, one of the founders of meteorology. In 1802 he showed that all gases expand by the same fraction of their volume with temperature. However, he is primarily known for his law stating that “gases combine in very simple proportions”.Naming citation (20030501/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Gay-Lussac is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Gay-Lussac is 2.87 au from the Sun and 2.79 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 11969 |
| Provisional designation | 1994 PC37 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.27 km (#12,124 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.244 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.22 |
| Orbital period | 4.64 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.78 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.56 – 3.00 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0795 |
| Inclination | 2.49° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.57 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Louis
- (6605) Carmontelle
- (7645) Pons
- (8617) Fellous
- (9135) Lacaille
- (9969) Braille
- (10930) Jinyong
- (11248) Bleriot
- (11309) Malus
- (11796) Nirenberg
- (12715) Godin
- (12750) Berthollet
- (12766) Paschen
All asteroids named after someone called Louis
Also discovered on 10 August 1994
- (6836) Paranal
- (7661) Reincken
- (7960) Condorcet
- (8205) Van Dijck
- (8890) Montaigne
- (9079) Gesner
- (9205) Eddywally
- (9392) Cavaillon
- (9393) Apta
- (9394) Manosque
- (9395) Saint Michel
- (9638) Fuchs