Hebei is asteroid #2505 and also known as 1975 UJ. Hebei is a member of the asteroid-family Themis. Hebei was discovered “by” (as if self-operating) the Purple Mountain Observatory (so most likely by an unknown astronomer) or Zĭjīnshān-Tiānwéntái (紫金山天文台) at Nánjīng (南京), Jiāngsū (江蘇 / 江苏), People’s Republic of China. Hebei’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 3.14 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.17, a period of revolution of 2 035 days, and an inclination of 2.1 degrees.

Hebei is named after Héběi-shěng (河北省) or the Chinese province Héběi (河北). It was spelled Hopeh in the Postal Romanization. The short name of the province is Jì (冀) after an ancient state, which existed on the same territory. The largest city and also capital of the province is Shíjiāzhuāng (石家莊 / 石家庄). Héběi-shěng (河北省) borders the provinces of Shānxī (山西) to the west, Hénán (河南) to the south, Shāndōng (山東 / 山东) to the southeast and Liáoníng (遼寧 / 辽宁) to the northeast, as well as Nèi-Měnggǔ-Zìzhìqū (内蒙古自治区) or the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north. Héběi-shěng (河北省) encircles the province-subdivision-level cities Běijīng (北京) and Tiānjīn (天津). East of Héběi-shěng (河北省) is the Yellow Sea. The economy of the province is based around agriculture and manifacture, but the province also is China’s main steel producer.

The province’s name is a translatable name. Héběi (河北) means north of the river. Héběi (河北) Province is north of Hénán (河南) Province, which is “south of the river”. The Huáng-Hé (黃河 / 黄河) or Yellow River is meant in both cases. Its name in antiquity was Hé (河). It became yellow over the centuries due to erosion, so it was called the yellow Hé (河) and only then other rivers could be referred to as hé (河) too.

As Jiangxi hints to places west of rivers or Hubei hints to places north of lakes or Henan hints to locations south of a river, so Hebei represents locations north of a river. Such topographical hints can be useful if you use astrology for searching for lost items.