| |
|
| Orbital characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Orbit type | Main belt |
| Semimajor axis | 2.573 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.1932 |
| Orbital period | 4.13 Years |
| Inclination | 5.37° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Diameter | ??? km |
| Mass | ??? kg |
| Density | ??? g/cm3 |
| Rotation period | ??? |
| Spectral class | ??? |
| History | |
| Discoverer | K. L. Hencke, 1845 |
Astraea was the fifth asteroid discovered, in 1845.
It is notable mainly because for 38 years (since the discovery of Vesta in 1807) it had been thought that there were only four asteroids.
After the discovery of Astraea, many thousands of other asteroids have been discovered.