1250 Galanthus and an inclination of 15° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg the night after its official discovery observation. "Galanthus" is an assumed carbonaceous C-type asteroid. In the early 1980s, a rotational lightcurve of "Galanthus" was obtained during a survey conducted by Richard P. Binzel at the McDonald Observatory, Texas. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 3.92 hours with a brightness variation of 0.28 magnitude (). The period was confirmed from photometric observations by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in October 2015, which gave a similar period of 3.918 hours and an
Chlamydomonas nivalis such that it is covered by the carotenoid globules full of astaxanthin that will provide protection against UV radiation. The majority (91%) of astaxanthin derivatives are stored in its monoester form within dormant "C. nivalis" red cysts. Astaxanthin is the pigment that makes the cell appear deep red. Other pigments that can also be found in "C. nivalis" include violaxanthin and fadonirubin. Visible algal blooms could be a crucial determinant of surface albedo. It has been suggested that algal blooms partially composed of "C. nivalis" may contribute to lowering ice and snow albedo. The red coloured pigments produced by the