51 Nemausa is a large Main belt asteroid similar to 1 Ceres in composition.
It was discovered in the city of Nīmes, France, after which it was named (in its Latin name). The discoverer was a certain "A. Laurent" who never made any more asteroid discoveries and about whom not much seems to be known.
The asteroid was discovered using the private observatory at the house formerly occupied by Benjamin Valz, who left to become the new director of the Marseille Observatory . He entrusted his former observatory to A. Laurent, who later found the asteroid. The house, at 32 rue Nationale in Nīmes, has a plaque commemorating the discovery. [1]
A small satellite has been suggested based on lightcurve data. [2]
