(15278) Paquet Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 August 1991 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Paul Pâquet (b. 1937) has contributed to earth-rotation studies and interpretation of the earth rotation variations in relation to the atmosphere and solar activity. As director of the Royal Observatory of Belgium from 1990 to 2002, he increased the number of scientists and renovated and enlarged the center.Naming citation (20030501/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Paquet is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Paquet is 4.11 au from the Sun and 4.90 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 15278 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 PG7 |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 25.4 km (#1,659 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0760 |
| Rotation period | 40.0 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 11.62 |
| Orbital period | 7.97 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.99 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 3.11 – 4.87 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.220 |
| Inclination | 9.32° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 2.13 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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