(505478) 2013 UT15

(505478) 2013 UT15
Discovery[1]
Discovered byOSSOS
Discovery siteMauna Kea Obs.
Discovery date2 August 2013
Designations
(505478) 2013 UT15
o3L83[2]
TNO[1] · SDO[3]
detached · distant[4]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 4
Observation arc4.08 yr (1,489 days)
Aphelion347.97 AU
Perihelion43.853 AU
195.91 AU
Eccentricity0.7762
2742.19 yr (1,001,586 days)
353.50°
0° 0m 1.44s / day
Inclination10.682°
191.97°
252.40°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions243 km estimate)[3]
260 km (est. at 0.08)[5]
340 km estimate)[6]
0.04 (estimate)[6]
0.09 (assumed)[3]
BB (estimate)[6]
6.2951[1] · 6.4[6]

(505478) 2013 UT15 is an extreme trans-Neptunian object from the scattered disc, located in the outermost regions of the Solar System, approximately 260 kilometers (160 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 2 August 2013, by astronomers of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey at Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii, United States.[4]

Orbit

With a semi-major axis of 196 AU, 2013 UT15 orbits the Sun at a distance of 43.9–348 AU once every 2,742 years. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.78 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] It has a similar orbit to (148209) 2000 CR105, except for a smaller inclination.

2013 UT15 belongs to a small number of detached objects with perihelion distances of 30 AU or more, and semi-major axes of 150 AU or more.[7] Such objects can not reach such orbits without some perturbing object, which lead to the speculation of planet nine.

Physical characteristics

Spectral type

The object is estimated to have a bluish spectra (BB).[6]

Diameter

2013 UT15 has been estimated to measure 243 and 340 kilometers in diameter, based on an assumed albedo of 0.09 and 0.04, respectively.[3][6] A generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion gives a mean-diameter of 260 kilometers,[5] using with a typical albedo of 0.08 and a published absolute magnitude of 6.2951.[1]

Numbering and naming

2013 UT15 was numbered (505478) by the Minor Planet Center on 4 November 2017 (M.P.C. 107067).[8] As of 2017, this minor planet has not received a name.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 505478 (2013 UT15)" (2017-08-30 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  2. ^ Shankman, Cory; et al. (2017). "OSSOS. VI. Striking Biases in the Detection of Large Semimajor Axis Trans-Neptunian Objects". The Astronomical Journal. 154 (2): 50. arXiv:1706.05348. Bibcode:2017AJ....154...50S. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa7aed. hdl:10150/625487. S2CID 3535702.
  3. ^ a b c d Wm. Robert Johnston (15 October 2017). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "505478 (2013 UT15)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS – NASA/JPL. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "How many dwarf planets are there in the outer solar system?". Gps.caltech.edu. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  7. ^ minorplanetcenter.net: q>30, a>150
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 November 2017.