24751

24751 is a minor planet in the asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered on September 14, 1999, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project, a collaborative effort between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, the United States Air Force, and NASA. The asteroid is part of the Flora family, a group of asteroids that share similar orbital characteristics and spectral properties.

The designation "24751" refers to its sequential number in the Minor Planet Center's catalog of asteroids. Its provisional designation, assigned before it was officially numbered, was 1999 RY17. The asteroid has an estimated diameter of approximately 3.5 kilometers, based on its absolute magnitude and assumed albedo.

24751 orbits the Sun with a semi-major axis of about 2.2 astronomical units (AU), completing one orbit approximately every 3.3 years. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13 and an inclination of about 5.5 degrees relative to the ecliptic plane. The asteroid's rotation period is not yet determined, but it is expected to be in the range of a few hours to a few days, typical for asteroids of its size.

The Flora family, to which 24751 belongs, is one of the largest asteroid families in the main belt. It is named after 8 Flora, the largest member of the family, and is thought to have formed from a single parent body that was disrupted by a collision. The family is characterized by its spectral type, which is S-type, indicating a stony composition.

24751, like other asteroids in the Flora family, provides valuable insights into the early solar system's formation and evolution. Its study contributes to our understanding of the processes that shaped the asteroid belt and the dynamics of the inner solar system.