2002 RN109

Last updated

2002 RN109
Discovery [1]
Discovered by LINEAR
Discovery site Lincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date6 September 2002
Designations
2002 RN109
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
Aphelion 1090.71 AU
Perihelion 2.6915 AU
546.70 AU
Eccentricity 0.9951
12,783 yr
0.4600°
0° 0m 0.36s / day
Inclination 58.137°
170.50°
212.28°
TJupiter 1.0820
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
4  km (est.) [3]
0.09 (assumed) [3]
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]

    Contents

    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

    Related Research Articles

    (65407) 2002 RP120, provisional designation 2002 RP120, is a trans-Neptunian object and damocloid from the outer Solar System. Its orbit is retrograde and comet-like, and has a high eccentricity. It was discovered on 4 September 2002 by astronomers with the LONEOS survey at Anderson Mesa Station, Arizona, in the United States. The unusual object measures approximately 14.6 kilometers (9.1 miles) in diameter and is likely elongated in shape. It is a slow rotator and potentially a tumbler as well. The object was probably ejected from the ecliptic by Neptune.

    20461 Dioretsa is a centaur and damocloid on a retrograde, cometary-like orbit from the outer Solar System. It was discovered on 8 June 1999, by members of the LINEAR team at the Lincoln Laboratory Experimental Test Site near Socorro, New Mexico, United States. The highly eccentric unusual object measures approximately 14 kilometers in diameter. It was named Dioretsa, the word "asteroid" spelled backwards.

    (434620) 2005 VD, provisional designation 2005 VD, is a centaur and damocloid on a retrograde orbit from the outer Solar System, known for having the second most highly inclined orbit of any small Solar System body, behind 2013 LA2. It was the most highly inclined known object between 2005 and 2013. The unusual object measures approximately 6 kilometers in diameter.

    <span class="nowrap">(523622) 2007 TG<sub>422</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object

    (523622) 2007 TG422, provisional designation 2007 TG422, is a trans-Neptunian object on a highly eccentric orbit in the scattered disc region at the edge of Solar System. Approximately 260 kilometers (160 miles) in diameter, it was discovered on 3 October 2007 by astronomers Andrew Becker, Andrew Puckett and Jeremy Kubica during the Sloan Digital Sky Survey at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, United States. According to American astronomer Michael Brown, the bluish object is "possibly" a dwarf planet. It belongs to a group of objects studied in 2014, which lead to the proposition of the hypothetical Planet Nine.

    <span class="nowrap">(612093) 1999 LE<sub>31</sub></span>

    (612093) 1999 LE31, prov. designation: 1999 LE31, is a centaur and damocloid on a retrograde and eccentric orbit from the outer region of the Solar System. It was first observed on 12 June 1999, by astronomers with the LINEAR program at the Lincoln Lab's ETS near Socorro, New Mexico, in the United States. The unusual object measures approximately 17 kilometers (11 miles) in diameter.

    (445473) 2010 VZ98, provisional designation 2010 VZ98, is a trans-Neptunian object of the scattered disc, orbiting the Sun in the outermost region of the Solar System. It has a diameter of approximately 400 kilometers.

    <span class="nowrap">2012 DR<sub>30</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object and centaur

    2012 DR30 is a trans-Neptunian object and centaur from the scattered disk and/or inner Oort cloud, located in the outermost region of the Solar System. The object with a highly eccentric orbit of 0.99 was first observed by astronomers with the Spacewatch program at Steward Observatory on 31 March 2009. It measures approximately 188 kilometers (120 miles) in diameter.

    <span class="nowrap">2013 BL<sub>76</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object

    2013 BL76 is a trans-Neptunian object and centaur from the scattered disk and Inner Oort cloud approximately 30 kilometers in diameter.

    In observational astronomy, the observation arc of a Solar System body is the time period between its earliest and latest observations, used for tracing the body's path. It is usually given in days or years. The term is mostly used in the discovery and tracking of asteroids and comets. Arc length has the greatest influence on the accuracy of an orbit. The number, spacing of intermediate observations, and timestamps have a lesser effect.

    2005 VX3 is trans-Neptunian object and retrograde damocloid on a highly eccentric, cometary-like orbit. It was first observed on 1 November 2005, by astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, United States. The unusual object measures approximately 7 kilometers (4 miles) in diameter. It has the 3rd largest known heliocentric semi-major axis and aphelion. Additionally its perihelion lies within the orbit of Jupiter, which means it also has the largest orbital eccentricity of any known minor planet.

    2000 DG8 is a dark centaur and damocloid on a retrograde and highly eccentric orbit from the outer region of the Solar System. It was first observed on 25 February 2000, by astronomers with the LINEAR program at the Lincoln Lab's ETS near Socorro, New Mexico, United States. It has not been observed since 2001. The unusual object measures approximately 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) in diameter.

    (78799) 2002 XW93, provisional designation 2002 XW93, is a trans-Neptunian object and centaur from the outer Solar System, approximately 500–600 kilometers (300–400 mi) in diameter. It was discovered on 10 December 2002, by astronomers at the Palomar Observatory in California.

    (336756) 2010 NV1, prov. designation: 2010 NV1, is a highly eccentric planet crossing trans-Neptunian object, also classified as centaur and damocloid, approximately 52 kilometers (32 miles) in diameter. It is on a retrograde cometary orbit. It has a barycentric semi-major axis (average distance from the Sun) of approximately 286 AU.

    <span class="nowrap">2013 SY<sub>99</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object

    2013 SY99, also known by its OSSOS survey designation uo3L91, is a trans-Neptunian object discovered on September 29, 2013 by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey using the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory. This object orbits the Sun between 50 and 1,300 AU (7.5 and 190 billion km), and has a barycentric orbital period of nearly 20,000 years. It has the fourth largest semi-major axis for an orbit with perihelion beyond 38 AU. 2013 SY99 has one of highest perihelia of any known extreme trans-Neptunian object, behind sednoids including Sedna (76 AU), 2012 VP113 (80 AU), and Leleākūhonua (65 AU).

    <span class="nowrap">2014 FE<sub>72</sub></span> Extreme trans-Neptunian object from the inner Oort cloud

    2014 FE72 is a trans-Neptunian object first observed on 26 March 2014, at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in La Serena, Chile. It is a possible dwarf planet, a member of the scattered disc, whose orbit extends into the inner Oort cloud. Discovered by Scott Sheppard and Chad Trujillo, the object's existence was revealed on 29 August 2016. Both the orbital period and aphelion distance of this object are well constrained. 2014 FE72 had the largest barycentric aphelion until 2018. However, the heliocentric aphelion of 2014 FE72 is second among trans-Neptunian objects (after the damocloid 2017 MB7). As of 2023, it is about 66 AU (9.9 billion km) from the Sun.

    <span class="nowrap">(127546) 2002 XU<sub>93</sub></span>

    (127546) 2002 XU93, provisional designation 2002 XU93, is a trans-Neptunian object and centaur on highly inclined and eccentric orbit in the outer region of the Solar System. It measures approximately 170 kilometers (110 mi) in diameter and is one of few objects with such an unusual orbit. It was discovered on 4 December 2002, by American astronomer Marc Buie at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, United States.

    2017 MB7 is a trans-Neptunian object and damocloid on a cometary-like orbit from the outer Solar System, approximately 6 kilometers (4 miles) in diameter. It was first observed on 22 June 2017 by the Pan-STARRS survey at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii, United States. This unusual object has the largest heliocentric aphelion, semi-major axis, orbital eccentricity and orbital period of any known periodic minor planet, even larger than that of 2014 FE72; it is calculated to reach several thousand AU (Earth-Sun) distances at the farthest extent of its orbit.

    (468861) 2013 LU28, provisional designation 2013 LU28 is a highly eccentric trans-Neptunian object, retrograde centaur and damocloid from the outer regions of the Solar System. It was discovered on 8 June 2013 by astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, United States. The object is unlikely a dwarf planet as it measures approximately 110 kilometers (68 miles) in diameter. It was numbered in 2016 and has not been named since.

    (523706) 2014 HF200, provisional designation 2014 HF200, is a trans-Neptunian object on an eccentric orbit from the scattered disc, located in the outermost region of the Solar System. It was discovered on 20 May 2012, by astronomers with the Pan-STARRS survey at Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, United States. The dwarf planet candidate measures approximately 300 kilometers (190 miles) in diameter.

    2006 LM1 is a trans-Neptunian object and retrograde damocloid on a highly eccentric, cometary-like orbit. It was first observed on 3 June 2006 by the Mount Lemmon Survey at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, United States. The orbit of 2006 LM1 is highly uncertain as its observation arc is only spans 2 days. 2006 LM1 measures approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) in diameter, assuming a low albedo of 0.09.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 "2002 RN109". Minor Planet Center. 38 total observations over interval: 2002 08 16.36906 – 2002 11 04.41631
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2002 RN109)" (2002-11-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 20 November 2018.
    3. 1 2 3 4 Johnston, Wm. Robert (7 October 2018). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
    4. "List Of Other Unusual Objects". Minor Planet Center. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
    5. "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: Asteroids and a > 100 (AU)". JPL Solar System Dynamics . Retrieved 15 October 2014. (Epoch defined at will change every 6 months or so)