Astronomy:2002 RN109
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | LINEAR |
| Discovery site | Lincoln Lab's ETS |
| Discovery date | 6 September 2002 |
| Designations | |
| 2002 RN109 | |
| Minor planet category | TNO[2] · damocloid[3] unusual[4] · distant[1] |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 80 days |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 1090.71 AU |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 2.6915 AU |
| 546.70 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.9951 |
| Orbital period | 12,783 yr |
| Mean anomaly | 0.4600° |
| Mean motion | 0° 0m 0.36s / day |
| Inclination | 58.137° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 170.50° |
| 212.28° | |
| TJupiter | 1.0820 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean diameter | 4 km (est.)[3] |
| Geometric albedo | 0.09 (assumed)[3] |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.3[1][2] |
2002 RN109 is a trans-Neptunian astronomical object and damocloid on a highly eccentric, cometary-like orbit. It was first observed on 6 September 2002, by astronomers of the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research project at its ETS near Socorro, New Mexico, United States.[1] The unusual object is approximately 4 kilometers (2 miles) in diameter.[3] It has the second-highest orbital eccentricity of any known minor planet, after 2005 VX3.[5]
Description
2002 RN109 may be a dormant comet that has not been seen outgassing. In the past it may have made closer approaches to the Sun that could have removed most near-surface volatiles. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–1,091 AU once every 12,783 years (semi-major axis of 546.7 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.9951 and an inclination of 58° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] The body's observation arc began with a precovery observation at Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site on 16 August 2002, or three weeks prior to its first observation.[1] The observation arc is only 80 days long. The object has not been observed since November 2002, about 2 months before it came to perihelion 2.7 AU from the Sun.[2] During perihelion passage the object was 2.9 AU from Earth.
2002 RN109 belongs to the dynamical group of damocloids due to its low Tisserand parameter (TJupiter of 1.0820).[2] It is also a Jupiter-, Saturn-, Uranus-, and Neptune-crosser. The object has the seventh-largest heliocentric semi-major axis and aphelion of all known minor planets, while its extreme eccentricity brings it well within the orbit of Jupiter when at perihelion.
See also
- List of Solar System objects by greatest aphelion
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "2002 RN109". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2002+RN109. 38 total observations over interval: 2002 08 16.36906 – 2002 11 04.41631
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2002 RN109)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=3221149. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Johnston, Wm. Robert (7 October 2018). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/tnoslist.html. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ↑ "List Of Other Unusual Objects". Minor Planet Center. 14 November 2018. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/t_others.html. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: Asteroids and a > 100 (AU)". JPL Solar System Dynamics. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb_query.cgi?obj_group=all;obj_kind=ast;obj_numbered=all;OBJ_field=0;ORB_field=0;c1_group=ORB;c1_item=Bh;c1_op=%3E;c1_value=100;table_format=HTML;max_rows=100;format_option=comp;c_fields=AcBhBgBjBiBnBsCjCpAiCkBe;.cgifields=format_option;.cgifields=ast_orbit_class;.cgifields=table_format;.cgifields=obj_kind;.cgifields=obj_group;.cgifields=obj_numbered;.cgifields=com_orbit_class&query=1&c_sort=BhD. Retrieved 2014-10-15. (Epoch defined at will change every 6 months or so)
External links
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