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Linus (moon)

Linus
22-Kalliope-Linus.jpg
Kalliope and satellite Linus as seen by the W.M. Keck II telescope in 2010
Discovery
Discovered by Jean-Luc Margot and Michael E. Brown
Discovery date August 29, 2001
Designations
MPC designation S/2001 (22) 1
Named after
Linus
Main belt
Adjectives Linian
Orbital characteristics

1063 ± 23 km (1040-1086)

1099 ± 11 km (1088-1110)
Eccentricity

<0.015

<0.005

3.596 ± 0.040 d (3.556-3.636)

3.590 ± 0.001 d (3.589-3.591)
Average orbital speed
21.5 m/s
Inclination ~0°
(undetectable with respect to Kalliope equator)
Satellite of 22 Kalliope
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 28 ± 2 km
Mass

~6×1016 kg (estimate)

~4×1016 kg (estimate)
Mean density
3.4 g/cm3 (assumed)
Equatorial escape velocity
~20 m/s (estimate)
unknown, probably synchronous
unknown, zero expected
Surface temp. min mean max
Kelvin ~161 240
Celsius ~ -113 −32°
9.7

1063 ± 23 km (1040-1086)

<0.015

3.596 ± 0.040 d (3.556-3.636)

~6×1016 kg (estimate)

(22) Kalliope I Linus is an asteroid moon that orbits the large M-type asteroid 22 Kalliope. It was discovered on August 29, 2001, by astronomers Jean-Luc Margot and Michael E. Brown with the Keck telescope, in Hawaii. Another team also detected the moon with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on September 2, 2001. Both telescopes are on Mauna Kea. It received the provisional designation S/2001 (22) 1, until it was named. The naming proposal appeared in the discovery paper and was approved by the International Astronomical Union in July 2003. Although the naming proposal referred to the mythological Linus, son of the muse Calliope and the inventor of melody and rhythm, the name was also meant to honor Linus Torvalds, inventor of the Linux operating system, and Linus van Pelt, a character in the Peanuts comic strip.

With an estimated 28 ± 2 km (17 ± 1 mi) diameter, Linus is very large compared to most asteroid moons, and would be a sizable asteroid by itself. The only known larger moons in the main belt are the smaller components of the double asteroids 617 Patroclus and 90 Antiope.


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