24 Themis

24 Themis

Orbital characteristics 1
Orbit type	Main belt (Themis)
Semimajor axis	3.129 AU
Perihelion distance	2.713 AU
Aphelion distance	3.544 AU
Orbital period	5.53 years
Inclination	0.76°
Eccentricity	0.133
Physical characteristics
Diameter	228 km
Mass	7.2 × 1015 kg
Rotation period 3	8 h 23 min
Abs. magnitude 1	7.08
Spectral class	C
Albedo	0.03
History 2
Discoverer	A. de Gasparis, 1853

24 Themis (thee'-mis) is one of the largest Main belt asteroids. It is also the largest member of Themis asteroid family.

It was discovered by Annibale de Gasparis on April 5, 1853.

It is named after Themis, the personification of divine order, law and custom in Greek mythology.

Themis was also the name given to the spurious lost "tenth" satellite of Saturn that William Henry Pickering believed he had found in 1905. [1]