1981 XJ2. Discovered 1981 Dec. 3 at the Purple Mountain Observatory at Nanking.

Named in honor of Charles Kuen Kao (1933– ), an internationally renowned telecommunications scientist and electronic engineer. In 1966 he was the principal author of the seminal paper on the theory and practice of the use of optical fibers for communication applications, heralding a new era in telecommunications. For his numerous contributions to the field he is referred to as the “Father of Fiber Optics”. (M 27125)