(11309) Malus Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 August 1993 by E. W. Elst at Caussols.
Étienne-Louis Malus (1775-1812) was a French physicist who discovered the polarization of reflected light. In 1798 he accompanied Napoleon to Egypt as a member of the corps of engineers. In 1809 he published a paper on the discovery of the polarization of light.Naming citation (20000320/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Malus is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Malus is 3.19 au from the Sun and 4.13 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 11309 |
| Provisional designation | 1993 PC7 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 14.5 km (#3,268 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0440 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.15 |
| Orbital period | 5.09 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.96 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.62 – 3.30 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.113 |
| Inclination | 6.98° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.64 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
- (11796) Nirenberg
- (11969) Gay-Lussac
- (12715) Godin
- (12750) Berthollet
- (12766) Paschen
All asteroids named after someone called Louis
Also discovered on 15 August 1993
- (9377) Metz
- (9629) Servet
- (9630) Castellion
- (10137) Thucydides
- (11945) Amsterdam
- (11946) Bayle
- (11947) Kimclijsters
- (20060) Johannforster
- (100122) Alpes-Maritimes
More named asteroids discovered by E. W. Elst
- (3631) Sigyn
- (3784) Chopin
- (3870) Mayre
- (3903) Kliment Ohridski
- (3910) Liszt
- (3912) Troja
- (3918) Brel
- (4038) Kristina
- (4226) Damiaan
- (4342) Freud
- (4344) Buxtehude
- (4345) Rachmaninoff
← (11308) Tofta · (11311) Peleus →