(23244) Lafayette Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 20 November 2000 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.

Recognized as a symbolic figure of French-American friendship, Marie-Josephe Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (1757-1834), on his own initiative served as a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution and as commander-in-chief of the Garde Nationale during the French Revolution.Naming citation (20100527/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

👶 Lafayette as a baby name 🐶 Lafayette as a dog name

Where Lafayette is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Lafayette is 2.32 au from the Sun and 1.95 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	23244
Provisional designation	2000 WP162
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	3.44 km (#14,138 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.260
Absolute magnitude (H)	14.8
Orbital period	4.46 years
Semi-major axis	2.71 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.15 – 3.26 au
Eccentricity	0.205
Inclination	13.6°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.20 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also discovered on 20 November 2000

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