(523674) 2013 MA12, provisional designation 2013 MA12, is a classical trans-Neptunian object and dwarf planet candidate from the Kuiper belt, located in the outermost region of the Solar System, approximately 340 kilometers (210 miles) in diameter. The cubewano belongs to the hot population. It was discovered on 26 July 2011, by astronomers with the Pan-STARRS survey at Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, United States.[1]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Pan-STARRS 1 |
| Discovery site | Haleakalā Obs. |
| Discovery date | 26 July 2011 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (523674) 2013 MA12 |
Alternative designations | 2013 MA12 |
Minor planet category | TNO[2] · cubewano[3] p-DP[4] · distant[1] |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 3 · 2[1] | |
| Observation arc | 6.17 yr (2,254 d) |
| Aphelion | 44.275 AU |
| Perihelion | 39.079 AU |
Semi-major axis | 41.677 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.0623 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 269.06 yr (98,276 d) |
Mean anomaly | 254.40° |
Mean motion | 0° 0m 13.32s / day |
| Inclination | 23.334° |
Longitude of ascending node | 114.98° |
Argument of perihelion | 314.83° |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 336 km (est.)[3] 343 km (est.)[4] |
Geometric albedo | 0.08 (assumed)[4] 0.09 (assumed)[3] |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 5.6[1][2] |
2013 MA12 orbits the Sun at a distance of 39.1–44.3 AU once every 269 years and 1 month (98,276 days; semi-major axis of 41.68 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.06 and an inclination of 23° with respect to the ecliptic.[2]
As a cubewano, also known as classical Kuiper belt object, it is located in between the resonant plutino and twotino populations and has a low-eccentricity orbit. With an inclination above 8°, it belongs to the "stirred" hot population rather than to the cold population with low inclinations. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation in July 2011 at Haleakala Observatory.[1]
This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 25 September 2018, together with hundreds of other centaurs, trans-Neptunian and near-Earth objects (see catalog entries from 523585 to 523800). This object received the number 523674 in the minor planet catalog (M.P.C. 111779).[5] As of 2018, it has not been named.[1]
According to the American astronomer Michael Brown, 2013 MA12 measures 343 kilometers in diameter based on an assumed albedo of 0.08.[4] On his website, Brown lists this object as a "possible" dwarf planet (200–400 km), which is the category with the lowest certainty in his 5-class taxonomic system.[4] Similarly, Johnston's archive estimates a diameter 336 kilometers using an albedo of 0.09.[3]
As of 2018, no spectroscopic or photometric observations have been made. The body's spectral type, color indices, rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.[2][6]
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