110 Lydia is a large belt asteroid with an M-type spectrum,[5] and thus may be metallic in composition, consisting primarily of nickel-iron.

It was discovered by French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly on 19 April 1870[6] and was named for Lydia, the Asia Minor country populated by Phrygians.

[8] In the late 1990s, a network of astronomers worldwide used light curves to derive spin states and shape models of 10 new asteroids, including (110) Lydia.

[10] Measurements of the thermal inertia of 110 Lydia give a value between 70 and 200 J·m−2·K−1·s−1/2, compared to 50 for lunar regolith and 400 for coarse sand in an atmosphere.

[3] It is a likely interloper in the Padua family of minor planets that share similar dynamic properties.