(139775) 2001 QG298

(139775) 2001 QG₂₉₈

Discovery
Discovered by	Marc William Buie
Discovery date	19 August 2001
Designations
Designation	(139775) 2001 QG298
Minor planet category	Plutino (MPC) [1]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD  2457400.5)
Aphelion	46.642  AU
Perihelion	31.758 AU
Semi-major axis	39.200 AU
Eccentricity	0.190
Orbital period (sidereal)	245.43  a (89,645.031  d)
Mean anomaly	7.386°
Inclination	6.500°
Longitude of ascending node	162.610°
Argument of perihelion	309.327°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	122 km [3]
Mean density	0.6–0.7 g/cm3 [4]
Sidereal rotation period	13.7744±0.0004 h [3]
Albedo	0.04 (assumed) [3]
Spectral type	V−R = 0.60±0.02 B−V = 1.00±0.04 [3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	6.85 [3]

(139775) 2001 QG₂₉₈ is a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) that resides in the Kuiper belt and was discovered on 19 August 2001 by Marc William Buie at Cerro Tololo Observatory. ^[2] It is classified as a plutino, which means that it is in the 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune. ^[1]

Physical properties

2001 QG₂₉₈ is a small plutino occupying the 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune. Its size is estimated at 122 km assuming a comet-like albedo of about 4%. ^[3]

2001 QG₂₉₈ has a double peaked light curve with a large amplitude, which has changed from 1.14 in 2003 to 0.7 in 2010. This large amplitude implies that it is actually a contact binary consisting of two elongated components of approximately equal size viewed from almost the equatorial perspective. The size of the components separated by the distance of approximately 300 km will be then about 95 km each. The density of 2001 QG₂₉₈ should be at least 0.6–0.7 g/cm³ for it to remain bound. ^{[3] [4]}

See also

• (612620) 2003 SQ317
• 2004 TT357

References

1. "MPEC G54: DISTANT MINOR PLANETS (2006 Apr. 25.0 TT) [27421-2007/05-R1]". IAU Minor Planet Center. 14 April 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
2. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 139775 (2001 QG298)" . Retrieved 24 February 2016. 2010-10-04 last obs.
3. Scott S. Sheppard; David C. Jewitt (2004). "Extreme Kuiper Belt Object 2001 QG298 and the Fraction of Contact Binaries". The Astronomical Journal. 4127 (5): 3023–3033. arXiv: astro-ph/0402277 . Bibcode:2004AJ....127.3023S. doi:10.1086/383558. S2CID   119486610.
4. Pedro Lacerda (2011). "A Change in the Lightcurve of Kuiper Belt Contact Binary (139775) 2001 QG298". The Astronomical Journal. 142 (3): 90. arXiv: 1107.3507 . Bibcode:2011AJ....142...90L. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/142/3/90. S2CID   118638439.

External links

• (139775) 2001 QG298 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach  · Discovery  · Ephemeris  · Orbit viewer  · Orbit parameters  · Physical parameters