(31109) Janpalous Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 August 1997 by Tichy, M., Moravec, Z. at Klet.
Jan Palouš (b. 1949) supervises dynamical studies of galaxies in the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. As a leading representative in both Czech and international astronomical bodies he was instrumental in negotiating the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Southern Observatory.Naming citation (20080819/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Janpalous is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Janpalous is 2.43 au from the Sun and 2.23 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 31109 |
| Provisional designation | 1997 PL4 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.60 km (#13,723 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0860 |
| Rotation period | 5.15 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.72 |
| Orbital period | 3.50 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.30 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.13 – 2.47 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0746 |
| Inclination | 6.89° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.13 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Jan
- (2308) Schilt
- (3791) Marci
- (3847) Sindel
- (6266) Letzel
- (6834) Hunfeld
- (7218) Skacel
- (7221) Sallaba
- (7701) Zrzavy
- (7849) Janjosefric
- (8149) Ruff
- (9239) van Riebeeck
- (9259) Janvanparadijs
All asteroids named after someone called Jan