2 Pallas

An telescope image of 2 Pallas

2 Pallas (symbol: ⚴) is the second asteroid discovered in the solar system after Ceres. It was discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers on March 28, 1802. 2 Pallas is named after Pallas Athena, an alternate name for the goddess Athena.

The orbit of 2 Pallas is highly inclined and moderately eccentric, with a very high axial tilt of 84°.

2 Pallas has a mass estimated to be 7% of the total mass of the asteroid belt. The asteroid is the third largest asteroid in terms of mass and the second largest in terms of diameter.

2 Pallas is believed to have a composition like silicate and “carbonaceous chondrite” meteors.

References

  1. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  2. ↑ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of minor planet names, Volume 1. Springer. p. 15. ISBN 3540002383. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  3. ↑ Tomaswick, Andy (2025-03-16). "Pallas Has a Very Blue Family". Universe Today. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  4. ↑ Pitjeva, E. V. (2005). "High-Precision Ephemerides of Planets—EPM and Determination of Some Astronomical Constants" (PDF). Solar System Research. 39 (3): 176. doi:10.1007/s11208-005-0033-2. S2CID 120467483. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  5. ↑ published, Charles Q. Choi (2020-02-11). "Massive asteroid Pallas has a violent, cratered past, study reveals". Space. Retrieved 2025-10-11.