125 Liberatrix - Discovery and Name

Discovery and Name

It was discovered by Prosper Henry on September 11, 1872 from Paris. Some sources give Paul Henry sole credit for its discovery. The asteroid's name is a feminine version of the word "liberator". Henry may have chosen the name to mark the liberation of France from Prussia during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. More specifically, it may honor Adolphe Thiers, the first President of the French Republic, who arranged a loan that enabled the Prussian troops to be removed from France.

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