(98494) Marsupilami Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 27 October 2000 by J.-C. Merlin at Le Creusot.
Named for the comic-strip character created by the Belgian cartoonist André Franquin (1924-1997). A playful, gluttonous wag, the Marsupilami first appeared in Jan. 1952 in Spirou and Fantasio magazine, where it shouted out its first “Houba!”Naming citation (20050919/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Marsupilami is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Marsupilami is 2.11 au from the Sun and 2.28 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 98494 |
| Provisional designation | 2000 UN111 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.33 |
| Orbital period | 3.65 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.37 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.00 – 2.74 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.155 |
| Inclination | 3.57° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.01 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.