268 Adorea is a very large main belt asteroid, about 140 km (87 mi) in width.

These were used to produce a light curve showing a rotation period of 7.80±0.02 h with a brightness variation of 0.16±0.03 in magnitude.

Some studies had suggested a longer rotation period of 15.959 h; double the time measured.

[4] In May 1979, 268 Adorea was positioned in proximity of the galaxy NGC 4517 and as a bright new light source it was identified as a potential supernova.

However, the light was missing from a second photographic plate taken ten days later, and the source was soon identified as the asteroid.