Asteroids with Satellites Database--Johnston's Archive

(3918) Brel

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 7 December 2025

--Orbital and physical data--

(See this page for definitions of quantities; source codes in brackets, see this link for full references; *A, *D, and *E indicate assumed, derived, and estimated values, respectively.)

dynamical type, primary: main belt asteroid


orbital data, primary (osculating elements) [JPL] :
semimajor axis a: 2.24416164593 AU
orbital period P: 3.3619357229 yr
(= 1227.9470228 d)
eccentricity e: 0.20812155423
perihelion distance q: 1.7771032362 AU
aphelion distance Q: 2.71122005561 AU
inclination i: 7.510621421°
argument of perihelion ω: 203.0187523°
ascending node Ω: 160.62000266°
mean anomaly M: 14.10311037°
perihelion passage TP: 2025 Oct 03.8947989
Epoch: 2025 Nov 21
data arc: 1931-2025 (5339 obs.)
Earth MOID: 0.775678 AU
Jupiter Tisserand invariant TJ: 3.592


orbital data, secondary:
semimajor axis as: 11 km [*E]
separation/primary radius as/rp:3.5 [*E]
separation/Hill radius as/rH:0.012 [*E]
orbital period Ps: 0.69396 ± 0.00029 d [D25d]
eccentricity es: ?
normalized ang. mom. αL: ?

other data, system (combined):
absolute mag. H: 12.8 [MPC]
slope parameter G: (0.15) [*A]
effective diameter dE: 6.29 ± 0.13 km [M19a]
geometric albedo: 0.289 ± 0.018 [M19a]
color index U-B: ?
color index B-V: ?
color index J-H:0.501 ± 0.08 [S10b]
taxonomic type: ?
mass m: ?
density ρ: (1.6 g/cm3) [*A]
Hill radius rH: 850 km [*E]

other data, primary:
diameter dp: 6.14 ± 0.13 km [*D]
dimensions :~6.9 x ~5.4 km [*E]
axial ratios a/b, b/c:1.3, ? [*E]
rotation period RPp: 3.097 ± 0.0003 h [D25d]
amplitude in mag., rotational ΔM: 0.26 [D25d]
amplitude in mag., mutual events ΔM:0.05 [D25d]
pole direction Β, λ: ? , ?


other data, secondary:
diameter ds: >1.35 km [*D]
diameter ratio ds/dp: >0.22 [D25d]
component mag. difference ΔM: <3.3
rotation period RPs: ?

-- (3918) Brel --discovery and notes:

Primary discovered 1988 Aug 13 from Haute Provence Observatory, France by E. W. Elst and G. Sause. Alternate designation(s): 1988 PE1, 1931 VF1, 1951 RX1, 1968 UN3, 1971 OK, 1978 TE4, 1980 DQ4. Linked to prediscovery observations from 1931 Nov 04. Permanent number assigned 1988 Oct 25.

Named 1988 Dec 23 for Jacques Brel (1929-1978) [MPC014030].

Companion discovered 2025 Aug 25 by M. Deldem, R. Behrend, P. Pravec, P. Fatka, R. Durkee, N. Ruocco O. Labrevoir, V. Benishek, D. Augustin, K. Ergashev, and O. Burkhonov, using lightcurve observations from Les Barres Observatory, Lamanon, France; Shed of Science South Observatory, Pontotoc, Texas, USA; Osservatorio Astronomico Nastro Verde, Sorrento, Italy; Centre d'Astronomie de Saint-Michel, France; Sopot Observatory, Serbia; e-EyE Observatory, Spain; Maidanak Observatory, Uzbekistan. Announced 2025 Dec 02 [D25d].

--Links, more technical:

--Links, less technical:

--Links to ADS abstracts:


© 2025 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 7 December 2025.
Return to Home. Return to Astronomy and Space. Return to Asteroids with Satellites.