| Discovered by James Craig Watson Minor planet category Main belt Aphelion 3.6499 AU (546.02 Gm) Orbits Sun Discoverer James Craig Watson Discovery site Detroit Observatory | Discovery date 13 September 1868 Observation arc 130.58 yr (47693 d) Discovered 13 September 1868 Spectral type C-type asteroid Asteroid family Themis family | |
| Perihelion 2.65525 AU (397.220 Gm) Similar 121 Hermione, 165 Loreley, 188 Menippe, 132 Aethra, 107 Camilla | ||
104 Klymene is a large, dark Themistian asteroid that was discovered by J. C. Watson on September 13, 1868, and named after one of the many Clymenes in Greek mythology. It is classified as a C-type asteroid, indicating it probably has a carbonaceous composition. The spectra indicates the presence of aqueous-altered minerals on the surface.
Based upon measurements made using adaptive optics at the W. M. Keck Observatory, this object may have a bi-lobed shape with a length of 163 ± 3 km and width of 103 ± 5 km, for an average dimension of 133 km. This asteroid is a member of the Themis family of asteroids that share similar orbital elements. It is listed as a member of the Hecuba group of asteroids that orbit near the 2:1 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter.