5 Astraea is a large asteroid from the asteroid belt. Its surface is highly reflective (bright) and its composition is probably a mixture of nickel–iron with silicates of magnesium and iron. It is an S-type object in the Tholen classification system.Astraea was the fifth asteroid discovered on December 8 1845 by K. L. Hencke and named for Astræa a goddess of justice named after the stars. It was his first of two asteroid discoveries. The second was 6 Hebe.
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