52 Europa

52 Europa

Asteroid 52 Europa is a moderately sized member of the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter. Discovered on February 4, 1858, by the Italian astronomer Hermann Goldschmidt, Europa is named after the mythological figure from Greek mythology, known for her beauty. With a diameter estimated to be around 315 kilometers (196 miles), Europa falls within the mid-range of asteroid sizes. Its orbit around the Sun takes approximately 5.6 Earth years to complete, situated at an average distance of about 370 million kilometers (230 million miles) from the Sun.