12 Victoria

12 Victoria is a large asteroid located in the main belt. It was the twelfth known asteroid, discovered on 13 September 1850 by English astronomer John R. Hind from George Bishop's Observatory in London, England. It was named after Victoria, the ancient Roman goddess of victory. The name's coincidence with that of then-reigning Queen Victoria led to an extended controversy, with American astronomers objecting to its use. In place of Victoria, the alternative name Clio was used in American publications until the late 19th century.

Victoria is around 116 kilometres (72 mi) in diameter and irregular in shape. It orbits the Sun at an average distance of 2.33 astronomical units on a 3.57 year long orbit. It is thought to be a stony S-type asteroid, and it rotates once every 8.66 hours.