Astronomy:2014 UZ224

2014 UZ₂₂₄

2014 UZ224 imaged by ALMA
Discovery
Discovered by	David Gerdes et al.
Discovery site	Cerro Tololo Obs.
Discovery date	21 October 2014
Designations
MPC designation	2014 UZ224
Alternative designations	DeeDee (nickname)
Minor planet category	TNO · SDO
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 05 May 2025 (JD 2460800.5)
Uncertainty parameter 4
Observation arc	15.98 yr (5,836 days)
Earliest precovery date	15 October 2006
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}	181.17±0.23 AU
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}	38.695±0.011 AU
Semi-major axis	109.93±0.14 AU
Eccentricity	0.648
Orbital period	1152.6±2.2 yr (421000±820 days)
Mean anomaly	323.47±0.09°
Mean motion	0° 0m 3.096s / day
Inclination	26.7787°
Longitude of ascending node	131.133±0.003°
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}	23 April 2142 ±26 days
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}	28.55±0.03°
Known satellites	0
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	635+57 −62 km
Geometric albedo	0.131+0.038 −0.028
Spectral type	g–r = 0.77±0.11 r–i = 0.39±0.07 i-z = 0.22±0.16
Apparent magnitude	23.38±0.05
Absolute magnitude (H)	3.5 3.48 (JPL)

2014 UZ₂₂₄ is a large trans-Neptunian object orbiting in the scattered disc of the outermost regions of the Solar System, estimated to be around 550 to 700 km (350 to 450 mi) in diameter. As of 2021, it is approximately 89.7 astronomical unit|AU (13.42 billion km) from the Sun, and will slowly decrease in distance until it reaches its perihelion of 38 AU in 2142. The discoverers have nicknamed it "DeeDee" for "Distant Dwarf".

2014 UZ₂₂₄ was discovered by a team led by David Gerdes using data collected by the large camera Dark Energy Camera (DECam). The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center on 11 October 2016. Assuming its nominal diameter of 635 km (395 mi), it reflects just 13 percent of the sunlight that hits it. The earliest known precovery observations of 2014 UZ₂₂₄ were taken at the Mauna Kea Observatory on 15 October 2006.

2014 UZ₂₂₄ has not yet been imaged by high-resolution telescopes, so it has no known moons. The Hubble Space Telescope is planned to image 2014 UZ₂₂₄ in 2026, which should determine if it has any significantly sized moons.

Orbit

Discovery images of 2014 UZ₂₂₄ by DECam from 21 and 23 October 2014

Diagram showing the orbits of 2014 UZ₂₂₄ (gray) and the outer planets. The vertical gray lines along 2014 UZ₂₂₄'s orbit mark its vertical positions above and below the ecliptic plane.

2014 UZ₂₂₄ orbits the Sun once every approximately 1,150 years and at the current point in its orbit is the second farthest known object from the Sun with a stable orbit. Its perihelion is calculated to be a bit closer than Pluto's semi-major axis, and it is calculated to reach it in 2142.

Numbering and naming

As of 2025, 2014 UZ₂₂₄ has not been numbered by the Minor Planet Center, as the uncertainty of its orbit is still large. The discoverers will have sole right to propose a name for ten years from the date it is numbered.

See also

• List of Solar System objects most distant from the Sun

External links

• 2014 UZ224 ("DeeDee") Fact Sheet
• 2014 UZ224 at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 2014 UZ224 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters