Pallas

Pallas, in astronomy

Pallas (păl`əs), in astronomy, 2d asteroid to be discovered. It was found in 1802 by H. Olbers. The second largest asteroid, it has a diameter of c.300 mi (480 km). Its orbit has a semimajor axis of 2.78 astronomical units and a period of 1,684 days.

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Pallas, in classical mythology

Pallas (păl`əs), in classical mythology.

1 Name given to Athena after she killed either a youthful playmate named Pallas or, in some legends, the giant Pallas.

2 Goatish giant killed by Athena when he tried to rape her.

3 Titan, son of Creus and Eurybia, husband of Styx, and father of Nike.

4 In Vergil's Aeneid, son of Evander and an ally of Aeneas.

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Pallas [′pal·əs]

(astronomy)

The second-largest asteroid, with a diameter of about 324 miles (540 kilometers), mean distance from the sun of 2.769 astronomical units, and C-type surface composition.

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Pallas 

an asteroid first observed by H. Olbers in 1802 and the second asteroid to be discovered. It is one of the four largest and brightest asteroids, whose diameters have proved possible to measure. Pallas has an approximate diameter of 490 km, a mean distance from the sun of 2.77 astronomical units, an average stellar magnitude of 8.0, and an orbit inclined toward the plane of the ecliptic at a relatively large angle i — 34.8°. The asteroid is named after the ancient Greek goddess Pallas Athena.