TX300 (apparent magnitude 19.4) as viewed with a 24" telescope
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Discovery[1]
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| Discovered by | Palomar Mountain/NEAT (644) |
| Discovery date | October 15, 2002 |
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Designations
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| MPC designation | (55636) 2002 TX300 |
| Alternate name | none |
| Minor planet category |
Cubewano (MPC)[2] Extended (DES)[3] |
| Epoch December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5) | |
| Aphelion | 7252.615 Gm (48.481 AU) |
| Perihelion | 5654.528 Gm (37.798 AU) |
| Semi-major axis | 6453.572 Gm (43.139 AU) |
| Eccentricity | 0.124 |
| Orbital period | 103492.895 d (283.35 a) |
| Average orbital speed | 4.52 km/s |
| Mean anomaly | 62.175° |
| Inclination | 25.856° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 324.575° |
| Argument of perihelion | 338.907° |
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Physical characteristics
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| Dimensions | 435?[4]–709[5] km |
| Mass | 1.6–3.7 × 1020? kg |
| Mean density | 2.0? g/cm³ |
| Equatorial surface gravity | 0.15–0.20? m/s² |
| Escape velocity | 0.28–0.37? km/s |
| Sidereal rotation period |
0.504 d (12.101 h)[1] |
| Albedo | 0.19[5]–0.38?[4] |
| Temperature | <41 K |
| Spectral type | (neutral) B-V=0.63; V-R=0.36[6] |
| Apparent magnitude | 19.4[7] |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 3.1[1][8] |
2002 TX300 is a dwarf planet candidate in the outer Solar System. It is a large Haumea family member, discovered in October 15, 2002 by the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program.
A Classical Kuiper Belt object with the absolute magnitude between that of (50000) Quaoar and (20000) Varuna, 2002 TX300 has the most eccentric and inclined orbit of the three.
A variability of the visual brightness was also detected which could fit to 7.9 h or 15.8 h rotational period (the distinction between single or double-peaked curved could not be made with confidence). The changes in brightness are quite close to the error margin and could also be due to irregular shape[9].
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Size
The non-detection of IR thermal emissions puts an upper limit of 709 km on its diameter and a lower limit on the albedo of 0.19.[5]
Orbit
2002 TX300 is classified as a classical Kuiper belt object and follows an orbit very similar to that of Haumea: highly inclined (26°) and moderately eccentric (e ~0.12), far from Neptune’s perturbations (perihelion at ~37 AU). Other mid-sizes cubewanos follow similar orbits as well, notably 2002 UX25 and 2002 AW197.
The diagrams show polar and ecliptic views of the orbits of the two cubewanos. The perihelia (q) and the aphelia (Q) are marked with the dates of passage. The present positions (as of April 2006) are marked with the spheres illustrating relative sizes and differences in albedo (both objects appear neutral in the visible spectrum).
It has been observed 303 times with precovery images back to 1954.[1]
Surface
The spectrum in the visible and near-infrared rages is very similar to that of Charon characterized by neutral to blue slope (1%/1000 Å) with deep (60%) water absorption bands at 1.5 and 2.0 μm)[10]. Mineralogical analysis indicates a substantial fraction of large ice (H2O) particles.[11] The signal/noise ratio of the observations was insufficient to differentiate between amorphous or crystalline ice (crystalline ice was reported on Charon, (50000) Quaoar and Haumea). The proportion of highly processed organic materials (tholins), typically present on numerous trans-Neptunian objects, is very low. As suggested by Licandro et al. 2006, this lack of irradiated mantle suggest either a recent collision or comet activity.
Origin
Common physical characteristics with the dwarf planet Haumea together with similar orbit elements [12] led to suggestion that 2002 TX300 is a member of the Haumean collisional family. The object, together with other members of the family ((19308) 1996 TO66, (24835) 1995 SM55, (120178) 2003 OP32, and (145453) 2005 RR43), would be created from ice mantle ejected from the proto-Haumea as result of a collision with another large (~1660 km) body.[13]
Possible occultation
2002 TX300 is predicted to occult a relatively bright apparent magnitude 13.1 star in the constellation of Andromeda on 2009-10-09 around 10:28 UT.[14] This event is predicted to be visible from Australia, possibly New Zealand, and the southern US and Mexico.[14] Palomar Observatory may try to observe this event, and it is likely to be visible to suitably equipped amateur astronomers. The RA and dec for this event is about 00 37 13.64 +28 22 23.2.: detailed information for observers has also been made available.[15]
External links
- AstDys orbital elements
- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Ephemeris
References
- ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 55636 (2002 TX300)". 2009-07-31 last obs. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=55636. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
- ^ "MPEC 2009-R09 : DISTANT MINOR PLANETS (2009 SEPT. 16.0 TT)". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2009-09-04. http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/mpec/K09/K09R09.html. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
- ^ Marc W. Buie (2009-07-31 using 303 observations). "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 55636". SwRI (Space Science Department). http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~buie/kbo/astrom/55636.html. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
- ^ a b John Stansberry, Will Grundy, Mike Brown, Dale Cruikshank, John Spencer, David Trilling, Jean-Luc Margot (2007). "Physical Properties of Kuiper Belt and Centaur Objects: Constraints from Spitzer Space Telescope". University of Arizona, Lowell Observatory, California Institute of Technology, NASA Ames Research Center, Southwest Research Institute, Cornell University. http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0702538v2. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
- ^ a b c Grundy, W. M; Noll, K; Stephens, D (2005). "Diverse albedos of small trans-neptunian objects". Icarus 176 (1): 184–191. doi:. (Preprint on arXiv.)
- ^ Doressoundiram (2004). "The Meudon Multicolor Survey (2MS) of Centraurs and Trans-Neptunian objects". http://calys.obspm.fr/~pcorps/TNO/publi/doressoundiram2004_final_2MS.pdf. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
- ^ "AstDys (55636) 2002TX300 Ephemerides". Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Archived from the original on 2009-04-18. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1240086966410194. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
- ^ "Conversion of Absolute Magnitude to Diameter". IAU: Minor Planet Center. http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/lists/Sizes.html. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
- ^ J. L. Ortiz, A. Sota, R. Moreno, E. Lellouch, N. Biver, A. Doressoundiram, P. Rousselot, P. J. Gutiérrez, I. Márquez, R. M. González Delgado and V. Casanova A study of Trans-Neptunian object (55636) 2002 TX300, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 420 (2004), Issue 1, pp. 383-388. Abstract.
- ^ J.Licandro, L. di Fabrizio, N. Pinilla-Alonso, J. de León, and E. Oliva Trans-Neptunian object (55636) 2002 TX300, a fresh icy surface in the outer Solar System. 2006, A&A,457,329-333 Abstract
- ^ Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Licandro, J.; Campins, H. Mineralogical analysis of two different kinds of icy surfaces in the trans-neptunian belt, TNOs (50000) Quaoar and 2002 TX300, American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #36, #11.07 (2004). Abstract.
- ^ Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Licandro, J.; Gil-Hutton, R.; Brunetto, R. (June 2007). "The water ice rich surface of (145453) 2005 RR43: a case for a carbon-depleted population of TNOs?" (PDF). Astronomy and Astrophysics 468 (1): L25. doi:. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007A%26A...468L..25P.
- ^ Michael E. Brown, Kristina M. Barkume, Darin Ragozzine & Emily L. Schaller, A collisional family of icy objects in the Kuiper belt, Nature, 446, (March 2007), pp 294-296.
- ^ a b Steve Preston. "(55636) 2002 TX300 / UCAC2 41650964 event on 2009 Oct 09, 10:28 UT". Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5kNDVsV13. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
- ^ "55636.20091009 Occultation October 09, 2009". http://occult.mit.edu/research/occultations/kbo/55636/55636.20091009/index.html. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
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