0 , ▁a ▁rot ational ▁light cur ve ▁of ▁Ger an ium ▁was ▁obtained ▁from ▁phot ometric ▁observations ▁by ▁astronom ers ▁at ▁the ▁Oak ley ▁Southern ▁Sky ▁Observ atory ▁in ▁Australia . ▁Light cur ve ▁analysis ▁gave ▁a ▁well - defined ▁rotation ▁period ▁of ▁ 1 2 . 3 6 3 ▁hours ▁with ▁a ▁bright ness ▁amplitude ▁of ▁ 0 . 0 8 ▁magnitude , ▁indic ative ▁for ▁a ▁rather ▁spher ical ▁shape ▁( ). ▁ ▁Diam eter ▁and ▁al bed o ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁surve ys ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁Ak ari ▁satellite ▁and ▁the ▁NE OW I SE ▁mission ▁of ▁NASA ' s ▁W ide - field ▁Inf ra red ▁Survey ▁Explorer , ▁Ger an ium ▁measures ▁between ▁ 4 6 . 0 8 ▁and ▁ 5 1 . 0 2 5 ▁kilom eters ▁in ▁diameter ▁and ▁its ▁surface ▁has ▁an ▁al bed o ▁between ▁ 0 . 0 6 1 9 ▁and ▁ 0 . 0 7 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁Coll abor ative ▁Ast ero id ▁Light cur ve ▁Link ▁der ives ▁an ▁al bed o ▁of ▁ 0 . 0 4 9 2 ▁and ▁a ▁diameter ▁of ▁ 4 1 . 4 6 ▁kilom eters ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁absolute ▁magnitude ▁of ▁ 1 0 . 8 . ▁ ▁N aming ▁▁ ▁This ▁minor ▁planet ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁Ger an ium , ▁a ▁genus ▁of ▁flow ering ▁plants ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁" c ran es b ills ". ▁The ▁official ▁naming ▁c itation ▁was ▁mentioned ▁in ▁The