(31196) Yulong Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 December 1997 by Xinglong at Xinglong.
Yulong (“Jade dragon”) is the only Naxi-language autonomous county in China. This ethnic culture thrives in a region where the Yulong Snow Mountain remains the southernmost glacier in the northern hemisphere, enjoying the fame of the Glacial Museum and the Kingdom of Flora.Naming citation (20080122/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Yulong is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Yulong is 2.81 au from the Sun and 1.87 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 31196 |
| Provisional designation | 1997 YL18 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.65 km (#9,484 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0590 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.04 |
| Orbital period | 4.25 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.63 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.24 – 3.01 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.148 |
| Inclination | 1.14° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.25 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.