▁named ▁after ▁Ne opt ole mus ▁from ▁Greek ▁myth ology . ▁ ▁Or bit ▁and ▁classification ▁▁ ▁Ne opt ole mus ▁is ▁a ▁dark ▁J ov ian ▁astero id ▁orbit ing ▁in ▁the ▁leading ▁Greek ▁camp ▁at ▁Jup iter ' s ▁ ▁L agr ang ian ▁point , ▁ 6 0 ° ▁ahead ▁of ▁its ▁orbit ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 : 1 ▁reson ance ▁( see ▁Tro j ans ▁in ▁astronom y ). ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁non - family ▁astero id ▁in ▁the ▁J ov ian ▁background ▁population . ▁ ▁This ▁astero id ▁or bits ▁the ▁Sun ▁at ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁ 5 . 0 – 5 . 4   AU ▁once ▁every ▁ 1 1 ▁years ▁and ▁ 1 0 ▁months ▁( 4 , 3 2 6 ▁days ; ▁semi - major ▁axis ▁of ▁ 5 . 2   AU ). ▁Its ▁orbit ▁has ▁an ▁ecc ent ric ity ▁of ▁ 0 . 0 4 ▁and ▁an ▁incl ination ▁of ▁ 1 8 ° ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁the ▁e cli ptic . ▁The ▁body ' s ▁observation ▁arc ▁begins ▁with ▁its ▁first ▁observation ▁as ▁ ▁at ▁Mc Donald ▁Observ atory ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁almost ▁ 2 4 ▁years ▁prior ▁to ▁its ▁official ▁discovery ▁observation ▁at ▁N ank ing . ▁ ▁Phys ical ▁characteristics ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁SD SS - based ▁tax onomy , ▁Ne opt ole mus ▁is ▁a ▁dark ▁D - type ▁astero id . ▁It ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁character ized ▁as ▁a ▁D -