(27938) Guislain Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 3 May 1997 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Joseph Guislain (1797-1860), one of the first students at the University of Ghent, was appointed head of the psychiatric hospitals in Ghent in 1820. He is remembered for proposing a law that formed the basis of psychiatric treatment in Belgium for more than a century.Naming citation (20091202/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Guislain is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Guislain is 2.87 au from the Sun and 1.91 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 27938 |
| Provisional designation | 1997 JG16 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 9.33 km (#5,526 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0810 |
| Rotation period | 27.4 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.94 |
| Orbital period | 5.35 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.06 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.52 – 3.60 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.176 |
| Inclination | 17.8° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.55 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Joseph
- (2157) Ashbrook
- (4225) Hobart
- (5034) Joeharrington
- (5577) Priestley
- (5883) Josephblack
- (6540) Stepling
- (6743) Liu
- (7656) Joemontani
- (8023) Josephwalker
- (8255) Masiero
- (8661) Ratzinger
- (8794) Joepatterson
All asteroids named after someone called Joseph
Also discovered on 3 May 1997
- (9239) van Riebeeck
- (9446) Cicero
- (9447) Julesbordet
- (10612) Houffalize
- (11349) Witten
- (12052) Aretaon
- (12490) Leiden
- (12491) Musschenbroek
- (12492) Tanais
- (12845) Crick
- (13211) Stucky
- (13212) Jayleno