3074 Popov

3074 Popov, provisional designation, is a carbonaceous Nysian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 km in diameter. It was discovered on 24 December 1979, by Soviet–Russian astronomer Lyudmila Zhuravleva at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj on the Crimean peninsula. The B-type asteroid has an unknown rotation period. It was named after Russian physicist Alexander Stepanovich Popov, an early radio pioneer in Russia.

Orbit and classification
Popov is a member of the carbonaceous subgroup of the Nysa family (FIN: 405), a group of asteroids in the inner main-belt not far from the Kirkwood gap at 2.5 AU, a depleted zone where a 3:1 orbital resonance with the orbit of Jupiter exists. The Nysian group is named after its largest member 44 Nysa.

It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 2.1–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,307 days; semi-major axis of 2.34 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.

The asteroid was first observed as at the Purple Mountain Observatory in October 1964. The body's observation arc begins with its observations as at Crimea–Nauchnij in December 1975, or four years prior to its official discovery observation.

Physical characteristics
In the SMASS classification, Popov is a B-type asteroid, which have a "brighter" surface than the common carbonaceous C-types.

Diameter and albedo
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Popov measures 9.875 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.070.

Rotation period
As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of Popov has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, shape and poles remain unknown.

Naming
This minor planet was named after Russian physicist Alexander Stepanovich Popov (1859–1906), who is considered to be the inventor of radio in his homeland and in eastern European countries. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 31 May 1988 (M.P.C. 13174). The lunar crater Popov was also named in his honor.