131 Vala
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131 Vala is an inner main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by C. H. F. Peters on 24 May 1873, and derives its name from völva (vǫlva, Template:Lit), a prophetess in Norse paganism.<ref name=Schmadel/> One observation of an occultation of a star by Vala is from Italy (26 May 2002). 10-μm radiometric data collected from Kitt Peak in 1975 gave a diameter estimate of 34 km.<ref name="Morrison1976"/>
In the Tholen classification system, it is categorized as an SU-type asteroid, while the Bus asteroid taxonomy system lists it as a K-type asteroid.<ref name="DeMeo2009"/> Photometric observations of this asteroid during 2007 at the Organ Mesa Observatory in Las Cruces, New Mexico were used to create a "nearly symmetric bimodal" light curve plot. This showed a rotation period of 10.359 ± 0.001 hours and a brightness variation of 0.09 ± 0.02 magnitude during each cycle.<ref name="Pilcher2008"/> The result is double the 5.18-hour period reported in the JPL Small-Body Database.<ref name=jpldata/>
On 2028-Apr-05, Vala will pass Template:Convert from asteroid 2 Pallas.<ref name=jpl-close/>
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