(31266) Tournefort Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 1 March 1998 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708) was the first to made a clear distinction between genera and species of plants, thereby simplifying the classification and paving the way for Linnaeus. His principal work, Elémens de Botanique, Méthode pour reconnoître les Plantes, was published in 1720.Naming citation (20080122/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Tournefort is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Tournefort is 3.06 au from the Sun and 2.92 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 31266 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 EZ13 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 8.06 km (#6,512 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0900 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.94 |
| Orbital period | 5.35 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.06 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.85 – 3.27 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0680 |
| Inclination | 3.21° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.85 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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