Pala is a non-
family background asteroid from the main belt's
background population. It orbits the Sun in the
outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.0–4.6
AU once every 5 years and 12 months (2,187 days;
semi-major axis of 3.30 AU). Its orbit has an
eccentricity of 0.39 and an
inclination of 19
° with respect to the
ecliptic. The body's
observation arc begins at Palomar with its official discovery observation. It has a strongly unstable orbit near the 2:1
orbital resonance with
Jupiter. The asteroid's orbit is expected to persist for another 18 million years though.
Pala measures approximately 8.2 kilometers in diameter, while the
albedo of its surface has not been estimated. As of 2017, the body's
spectral type as well as its
rotation period and shape remain unknown. == Naming ==