(8169) Mirabeau Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 August 1991 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Named in memory of French politician and orator Honoré-Gabriel Mirabeau (1749-1791), one of the greatest figures of the early French Revolution. In 1789 he was elected deputy at the States General to represent Marseille and Aix-en-Provence. From May to October 1789 he played a decisive part in the battle between the Third Estate (common people) and the privileged orders (clergy and nobility). This made him very popular in Paris, but his intrigues with the court and his Machiavellian game in general led him to political defeat, since he was too much a monarchist for the revolution and too revolutionary for the monarchy. However, he was given a magnificent funeral at the new church of Sainte-Geneviève, which, in honor of him, was converted into the Panthèon, for the burial of great men.Naming citation (19990402/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Mirabeau is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Mirabeau is 2.80 au from the Sun and 2.09 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8169 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 PO2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 10.9 km (#4,598 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0860 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.55 |
| Orbital period | 5.59 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.15 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.78 – 3.52 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.117 |
| Inclination | 2.16° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.80 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 2 August 1991
- (9184) Vasilij
- (9341) Gracekelly
- (10780) Apollinaire
- (11289) Frescobaldi
- (11524) Pleyel
- (12294) Avogadro
- (12295) Tasso
- (13525) Paulledoux
- (19175) Peterpiot
- (20010) Tomfrench
- (48451) Pichincha
- (90717) Flanders