23th Largest Asteroid, 423 Diotima

423 Diotima is a one of the largest main-belt asteroids.

Diotima is the 23th largest asteroid currently known.

Discovery

Diotima was discovered by Auguste Honoré Charlois on December 7, 1896, in Nice.

Naming

It is named for a priestess who was one of Socrates's teachers. It is one of seven of Charlois's discoveries that was expressly named by the Astromomisches Rechen-Institut (Astronomical Calculation Institute).

Diotima of Mantinea is a female seer who plays an important role in Plato's Symposium. Her ideas are the origin of the concept of Platonic love. Since the only source concerning her is Plato, it is uncertain whether she was a real historical personage or merely a fictional creation. However, nearly all of the characters named in Plato's dialogues have been found to correspond to real people living in ancient Athens.

In Plato's Symposium the members of a party discuss the meaning of love. Socrates says that in his youth he was taught "the philosophy of love" by Diotima, who was a seer or priestess. Socrates also claims that Diotima successfully postponed the plague of Athens.

Stats

Diameter (mean): 209 km
Aphelion: 3.191 AU
Perihelion: 2.949 AU
Semi-major axis: 3.069 AU
Orbital Period: 5.38 years
Rotation period: 4.775 hrs
Date discovered: 1896.12.7
Class: C
Type: Main-belt Asteroid
(data from JPL Small-Body Database)

Physical Characteristics

Diotima is classified as a C-type asteroid and is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material.