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(65407) 2002 RP120

Asteroid

Field	Value
minorplanet	yes
name
background	#C2E0FF
discovery_ref
discoverer	LONEOS
discovery_site	Anderson Mesa Stn.
discovered	4 September 2002
mpc_name	(65407)
alt_names
mp_category	TNOdamocloid
unusualdistant
orbit_ref
epoch	27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
uncertainty	2
observation_arc	3.35 yr (1,225 d)
aphelion	105.39 AU
perihelion	2.4544 AU
semimajor	53.920 AU
eccentricity	0.9545
period	395.95 yr (144,619 d)
mean_anomaly	15.061°
mean_motion	/ day
inclination	118.97°
asc_node	39.263°
arg_peri	357.79°
tisserand	−0.8340
mean_diameter
rotation
albedo
spectral_type	B–R 1.37
abs_magnitude	12.3

unusualdistant

**** (provisional designation ****) 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 km 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.

Orbit and classification

is a member of the damocloids, with a retrograde orbit and a negative TJupiter of −0.8340. It is also a trans-Neptunian object, as its orbit has a semi-major axis larger than that of Neptune (30.1 AU). The Minor Planet Center lists it as a critical object, centaur, and (other) unusual minor planet due to an orbital eccentricity of more than 0.5.

It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.5–105 AU once every 396 years (semi-major axis of 53.92 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.95 and an inclination of 119° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken by Astrovirtel at ESO's La Silla Observatory in February 2001, or 19 months prior to its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa.

Numbering and naming

This minor planet was permanently numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 14 June 2003 (M.P.C. 48994). As of 2018, it has not been named.

Physical characteristics

The object has a B–R magnitude of 1.37, typical for most dynamical groups in the outer Solar System.

Rotation period

In October 2010, a rotational lightcurve of was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer René Roy . Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 200 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.6 magnitude, indicative of an elongated, non-spherical shape (). With a rotation period above 100 hours, it is a typical slow rotator.

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey of minor-planet albedos of bodies in a comet-like orbit, carried out by Yanga Fernández in collaboration with David Jewitt and Scott Sheppard at the Institute for Astronomy, Hawaii, measures 14.6 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.098. Johnston's archive gives a rounded figure of 15 kilometers.

References

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

damocloids unusual-minor-planets discoveries-by-loneos slow-rotating-minor-planets astronomical-objects-discovered-in-2002 minor-planets-with-a-retrograde-orbit

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