This asteroid was discovered on 4 May 1992, by Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile.

It was named after Belgian theoretical-physicist Jean Serpe,[2] professor at University of Liège and member of the RASAB.

[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 17 May 2011 (M.P.C.

[4] Serpe orbits the Sun in the middle main-belt at a distance of 2.4–2.7 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,502 days).

The body's rotation period and shape, as well as its spectral type remain unknown.