1218 Aster
1218 Aster, provisional designation, is a bright asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5.5 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by Karl Reinmuth in 1932, it was later named after the flowering plant Aster.
Discovery
Aster was discovered on 29 January 1932, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany. Two nights later, it was independently discovered by Italian astronomer Mario A. Ferrero at the Pino Torinese Observatory at Turin, Italy.Classification and orbit
Aster orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 5 months. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.The asteroid's observation arc begins at the discovering observatory, one week after its official discovery observation.