1112 Polonia

1112 Polonia, originally designated 1928 PE, is an Eoan asteroid located in the outer regions of the asteroid belt, measuring approximately 38 kilometers (24 miles) in diameter. Discovered by Soviet astronomer Pelageya Shajn at Simeiz Observatory on August 15, 1928, it was her first asteroid discovery and the first such discovery made by a woman, ending a tradition of male-only asteroid discoveries that began with 1 Ceres in 1801. The Minor Planet Center officially recognized Shajn as the discoverer. Polonia orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.3 AU, completing one orbit every 5 years and 3 months (1,916 days). Its semi-major axis is 3.02 AU, with an orbital eccentricity of 0.11 and inclination of 9° relative to the ecliptic. It is a core member of the Eos family, the largest asteroid family in the outer main belt, consisting of nearly 10,000 asteroids. In terms of physical characteristics, Polonia is classified as an L-type asteroid under the SDSS-based taxonomy, similar to K-type asteroids, with a common stony composition. Observations reveal a long rotation period of 82.5 hours and a brightness amplitude of 0.20 magnitude (U=2). Its diameter is estimated at approximately 35.76 kilometers based on infrared surveys, with an albedo of 0.1319. The asteroid was named "Polonia," the Latin name for Poland, in recognition of Shajn's discovery and its significance as the first asteroid discovered by a woman. The naming was proposed by L. Matkiewicz, a Polish astronomer who calculated Polonia's orbit, and officially cited in Paul Herget's *The Names ...