(4281) Pounds Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 October 1985 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Named in honor of Kenneth A. Pounds, professor of physics at Leicester University, where he has directed x-ray astronomy, in which he is a pioneer, for 25 years. Pounds leads the British participation on ROSAT, which has just produced the first x-ray and XUV photographs of the Moon. An active supporter of amateur initiatives through many talks to societies, he is strongly in favor of publicizing astronomy in the most general way. Pounds is currently president of the Royal Astronomical Society and was awarded the Commander of the British Empire for services to astronomy. Name suggested and citation material provided by S. A. Mitton.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #10, 4), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Pounds is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Pounds is 2.72 au from the Sun and 3.57 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 4281 |
| Provisional designation | 1985 TE1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 9.68 km (#5,287 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0550 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.94 |
| Orbital period | 3.86 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.46 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.19 – 2.74 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.112 |
| Inclination | 0.731° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.19 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Kenneth
- (4969) Lawrence
- (10107) Kenny
- (14075) Kenwill
- (14917) Taco
- (16958) Klaasen
- (17156) Kennethseitz
- (17555) Kenkennedy
- (17930) Kennethott
- (18237) Kenfreeman
- (22580) Kenkaplan
- (25541) Greathouse
- (27267) Wiberg
All asteroids named after someone called Kenneth
Also discovered on 15 October 1985
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- (3595) Gallagher
- (3639) Weidenschilling
- (4057) Demophon
- (4445) Jimstratton
- (4446) Carolyn
- (4665) Muinonen
- (4696) Arpigny
- (4739) Tomahrens
- (5463) Danwelcher
- (5554) Keesey
- (6206) Corradolamberti