Hansa is asteroid #480 and also known as 1901 GL. Hansa is of the type S and was discovered by Max Wolf (Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf) and Luigi Carnera at Heidelberg. Hansa’s orbit is characterized by a period of revolution of 1 570 days, a semi-major axis of 2.644 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.047, and an inclination of 21.3 degrees. Hansa is the head of the Hirayama-family Hansa. The asteroid has most likely an elongated shape. The asteroid Yuyakekoyake is a member of Hansa’s Hirayama-family.

Hansa is named after a medieval confederation of merchant guilds. It was known by its German name Hanse, but in English only as the Hanseatic League. The Hanse had founded many market towns and was active from the Netherlands through all the Baltic Sea to Russia in the 14th and 15th century. The name of the asteroid was proposed by the German astronomer Heinrich Carl Friedrich Kreutz, who lived an worked in Kiel during the second half of his life. Kiel was a member town of the Hanse and many towns, at least in Germany, proudly hint to their past as a member of the Hanse. (Cars in Hamburg, for example, have HH on their licence plates for Hansestadt Hamburg.) This is less popular in the Baltic countries, where the people seem to try to forget their past. The leading German airline Lufthansa also tries to remind at this past with its name, despite having nothing to do with it.

Hansa hints to trade, transport, and merchants. Also to joining forces for a certain purpose. The name of the asteroid is of historical instead of mythological origin. So Hansa hints rather to technical aspects than to their goals or causes.