(687170) 2011 QF99

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(687170) 2011 QF99
Animation of 2011 QF99 relative to Sun and Uranus 1600-2500.gif
Animation of 2011 QF99 relative to Sun and Uranus 1600-2500
  2011 QF99 ·   Uranus  ·  Sun
Discovery
Discovered by M. Alexandersen [1]
Discovery site Mauna Kea Obs.
Discovery date29 August 2011 [2]
(first observation only)
Designations
2011 QF99
Uranus trojan [3]
centaur [2]  · distant [1]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 3
Observation arc 3.97 yr (1,449 days)
Aphelion 22.422 AU
Perihelion 15.659 AU
19.040 AU
Eccentricity 0.1776
83.08 yr (30,346 days)
283.84°
0° 0m 42.84s / day
Inclination 10.833°
222.52°
288.25°
Physical characteristics
60  km (calculated) [3]
0.05 (assumed) [3]
9.6 (R-band) [3]
9.7 [2]

    (687170) 2011 QF99 is a minor planet from the outer Solar System and the first known Uranus trojan to be discovered. It measures approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) in diameter, assuming an albedo of 0.05. [3] [4] It was first observed 29 August 2011 during a deep survey of trans-Neptunian objects conducted with the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, but its identification as a Uranian trojan was not announced until 2013. [3] [5]

    2011 QF99 temporarily orbits near Uranus's L4 Lagrangian point (leading Uranus). It will continue to librate around L4 for at least 70,000 years and will remain a Uranus co-orbital for up to three million years. 2011 QF99 is thus a temporary Uranus trojan—a centaur captured some time ago. [3] [6]

    Uranus trojans are generally expected to be unstable and none of them are thought to be of primordial origin. A simulation led to the conclusion that at any given time, 0.4% of the centaurs in the scattered population within 34 AU would be Uranus co-orbitals, of which 64% (0.256% of all centaurs) would be in horseshoe orbits, 10% (0.04%) would be quasi-satellites, and 26% (0.104%) would be trojans (evenly split between the L4 and L5 groups). [3] A second Uranian trojan, 2014 YX49 , was announced in 2017. [7]

    References

    1. 1 2 "2011 QF99". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
    2. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2011 QF99)" (2012-10-21 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 12 October 2017.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Alexandersen, M.; Gladman, B.; Greenstreet, S.; Kavelaars, J. J.; Petit, J. -M.; Gwyn, S. (2013). "A Uranian Trojan and the Frequency of Temporary Giant-Planet Co-Orbitals". Science. 341 (6149): 994–997. arXiv: 1303.5774 . Bibcode:2013Sci...341..994A. doi:10.1126/science.1238072. PMID   23990557. S2CID   39044607.
    4. ↑ Choi, C. Q. (29 August 2013). "First 'Trojan' Asteroid Companion of Uranus Found". Space.com web site. TechMediaNetwork. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
    5. ↑ Alexandersen, M.; Kavelaars, J.; Petit, J.; Gladman, B. (18 March 2013). "MPEC 2013-F19: 2011 QF99". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars . 2013-F19. IAU. Bibcode:2013MPEC....F...19A . Retrieved 3 September 2013.
    6. ↑ de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl (22 May 2014). "Comparative orbital evolution of transient Uranian co-orbitals: exploring the role of ephemeral multibody mean motion resonances". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 441 (3): 2280–2295. arXiv: 1404.2898 . Bibcode:2014MNRAS.441.2280D. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stu733 .
    7. ↑ de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl (15 May 2017). "Asteroid 2014 YX49: a large transient Trojan of Uranus". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 467 (2): 1561–1568. arXiv: 1701.05541 . Bibcode:2017MNRAS.467.1561D. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stx197 .
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