(11844) Ostwald Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 22 August 1987 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932) was a Baltic-German chemist who established the discipline of physical chemistry. In 1887 he founded the Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie. Well known for his dilution law of electrolytes, he was awarded the Nobel prize in 1909 for his work on catalysis.Naming citation (20070926/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ostwald is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ostwald is 2.68 au from the Sun and 3.16 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 11844 |
| Provisional designation | 1987 QW2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 11.3 km (#4,431 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.115 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.18 |
| Orbital period | 5.64 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.17 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.63 – 3.71 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.169 |
| Inclination | 1.33° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.62 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Wilhelm
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All asteroids named after someone called Wilhelm