(2452) Lyot Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 March 1981 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Named in memory of the French astronomer Bernard Lyot (1897-1952). One of the outstanding experimental astronomers of the twentieth century, Lyot invented the solar coronagraph and the birefringent filter. He developed the study of the polarization of light from planets to a perfection that has hardly been surpassed.Naming citation (MPC 6531), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Lyot is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Lyot is 2.87 au from the Sun and 3.72 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 2452 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 FE |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 11.9 km (#4,149 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.380 |
| Rotation period | 16.0 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 11.57 |
| Orbital period | 5.64 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.17 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.83 – 3.51 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.108 |
| Inclination | 11.7° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.83 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Bernard
- (6196) Bernardbowen
- (6768) Mathiasbraun
- (8079) Bernardlovell
- (10069) Fontenelle
- (10144) Bernardbigot
- (18236) Bernardburke
- (31936) Bernardsmit
- (48960) Clouet
- (52703) Bernardleblanc
- (59211) Bernardfort
- (87933) Bernardschmitt
- (103733) Bernardharris
All asteroids named after someone called Bernard
Also discovered on 30 March 1981
More named asteroids discovered by E. Bowell
- (2246) Bowell
- (2264) Sabrina
- (2270) Yazhi
- (2316) Jo-Ann
- (2356) Hirons
- (2357) Phereclos
- (2383) Bradley
- (2409) Chapman
- (2410) Morrison
- (2411) Zellner
- (2421) Nininger
- (2432) Soomana
← (2451) Dollfus · (2453) Wabash →