4674 Pauling, provisional designation1989 JC, is abinary[a] Hungariaasteroid from the innermost regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 4.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomerEleanor Helin at the U.S.Palomar Observatory, California, on 2 May 1989, and named after the American chemist and Nobel laureateLinus Pauling.[3][4]
According to the surveys carried out by NASA's space-basedSpitzer andWISE telescopes, the asteroid measures between 4.2 and 4.8 kilometers in diameter and has a surfacealbedo of 0.17 to 0.39.[7][8][9][10][11]
Several rotationallightcurves for this asteroids were obtained from photometric observations between 2005 and 2015, most notably by Italian astronomerSilvano Casulli and American astronomer Brian Warner at the U.S. Palmer Divide Observatory, Colorado. The lightcurves gave arotation period of 2.531–2.533 hours (U=3) with an exceptionally low brightness amplitude of less than 0.01 inmagnitude, indicating that the body has a nearly spheroidal shape.[12][14][15]
In 2004, a team of astronomers atESO'sVery Large Telescope, Chile, announced that Pauling is orbited by a smallasteroid moon.[a][6] The moon has received a provisionaldesignation for natural satellites:S/2004 (4674) 1. It was believed to measure 2.5 kilometers in diameter (now rather 1.5 km, since the primary's size estimate has been reduced from 8 to 4.5 kilometers) and to orbit Pauling at a distance of 250 kilometers[12] once every 1200 hours.[5]
Thisminor planet is named in honor of the American chemist, biochemist, peace activist, author, educator, and multiple Nobel laureateLinus Pauling (1901–1994). The naming took place on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Pauling had a renowned and several decade long career at Caltech, and was leading its Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. In 1954 and 1962, he received theNobel Prize in Chemistry and theNobel Peace Prize, respectively. Astronomer Eleanor Helin was one of his admirers.[3] The approved naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 30 March 1991 (M.P.C. 17981).[17]
^abcCentral Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, IAUC 8297, March 2004, reports:[6] The discovery of a satellite of minor planet (4674) Pauling from J-, H-, and K_s-band imaging with the ESO 8-m Very Large Telescope UT4/YEPUN (+NAOS/CONICA adaptive-optics system) on Cerro Paranal. On Mar. 4.2278, the companion was at separation 0".39 (projected separation 250 km) in p.a. 308 deg. The K_s brightness difference is about 2.5 mag, giving an estimated diameter of the satellite of about 2.5 km (assumed diameter of the primary being 8 km). Reported by: W. J. Merline, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI); P. M. Tamblyn, Binary Astronomy and SwRI; C. Dumas, European Southern Observatory (ESO); F. Menard, Observatoire de Grenoble; L. M. Close, University of Arizona; C. R. Chapman, SwRI; G. Duvert, Observatoire de Grenoble; and N. Ageorges, ESOIAUC 8297: S/2004 (4674) 1
^Warner (2016): rotation period2.53057±0.00009 hours with a brightness amplitude of0.06 mag with a Quality Code ofU=3. Summary figures for (4674) Pauling atCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL)
^abcMerline, W. J.; Tamblyn, P. M.; Dumas, C.; Menard, F.; Close, L. M.; Chapman, C. R.; et al. (March 2004)."S/2004 (4674) 1".IAU Circ.8297 (8297): 1.Bibcode:2004IAUC.8297....1M. Retrieved1 March 2016.
