(508869) 2002 VT130, provisional designation 2002 VT130, is a trans-Neptunian object and binary system from the classical Kuiper belt, located in the outermost region of the Solar System. It was discovered by American astronomer Marc Buie at Kitt Peak Observatory on 7 November 2002.[1][2] The primary measures approximately 324 kilometers (201 miles) in diameter.[7]

(508869) 2002 VT130
Discovery[1][2]
Discovered byM. W. Buie
Discovery siteKitt Peak Obs.
Discovery date7 November 2002
Designations
(508869) 2002 VT130
2002 VT130
TNO[3] · binary[4]
cubewano[5] (cold)[6]
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 3
Observation arc14.39 yr (5,256 d)
Aphelion43.716 AU
Perihelion40.710 AU
42.213 AU
Eccentricity0.0356
274.27 yr (100,177 d)
125.69°
0° 0m 12.96s / day
Inclination1.1643°
334.29°
337.65°
Known satellites1 (D: 205 km; P: 30.76 d)[4]
Physical characteristics
324+57
−68
 km
[7]
Mass(2.36±0.17)×1018 kg (orbit 1) or
(2.27±0.16)×1018 kg (orbit 2)[8]
0.097+0.098
−0.049
[7]
V−R = 0.56±0.10[4]
B–V = 1.45[4]
5.7[1][3]

Physical properties

edit

The object belongs to the cold classical population and is a binary. The companion was discovered by Keith Noll, Will Grundy, Susan Benecchi, and Hal Levison using Hubble Space Telescope on 21 September 2008. The discovery was announced on 24 September 2009. The moon's apparent separation from the primary was 3026±90 km with an orbital period of 30.7615±0.0064 d.[8] The estimated combined size of 2002 VT130 is about 324 km.[7] The Johnston's archive estimates a mean diameter of 251 km for the primary, and 205 km for the satellite based on a secondary-to-primary diameter ratio of 0.817.[4]

2002 VT130 shows significant photometric variability with the lightcurve amplitude of 0.21. This may indicate that 2002 VT130 binary is a result of a collision.[9]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "508869 (2002 VT130)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b Marsden, Brian G. (3 December 2002). "MPEC 2002-X10: 2002 VR130, 2002 VS130, 2002 VT130, 2002 VU130". IAU Minor Planet Center. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 508869 (2002 VT130)" (2017-03-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e Johnston, Wm. Robert (27 May 2019). "Asteroids with Satellites Database – (508869) 2002 VT130". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  5. ^ Marc W. Buie. "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 508869". SwRI (Space Science Department). Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  6. ^ Brown, Mike. "How many dwarf planets are there in the Solar System". Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d Vilenius, E.; Kiss, C.; Mommert, M.; et al. (2014). ""TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region X. Analysis of classical Kuiper belt objects from Herschel and Spitzer observations". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 564: A35. arXiv:1403.6309. Bibcode:2014A&A...564A..35V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322416. S2CID 118513049.
  8. ^ a b Grundy, W.M.; Noll, K.S.; Roe, H.G.; Buie, M.W.; Porter, S.B.; Parker, A.H.; Nesvorný, D.; Levison, H.F.; Benecchi, S.D.; Stephens, D.C.; Trujillo, C.A. (December 2019). "Mutual orbit orientations of transneptunian binaries". Icarus. 334: 62–78. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.03.035.
  9. ^ A. Thirouin; K.S. Noll; J.L. Ortiz; N. Morales (2014). "Rotational properties of the binary and non-binary populations in the trans-Neptunian belt". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 569: A3. arXiv:1407.1214. Bibcode:2014DPS....4642109T. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201423567. S2CID 119244456.
edit