astro.wikisort.org - Asteroid

(44594) 1999 OX₃ is an eccentric trans-Neptunian object with a centaur-like orbit from the outer Solar System, approximately 150 kilometers in diameter.[3] It was discovered on 21 July 1999, by astronomers John Kavelaars, Brett Gladman, Matthew Holman and Jean-Marc Petit at Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, United States.[5]

(44594) 1999 OX₃

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	J. J. Kavelaars B. Gladman M. Holman J. Petit
Discovery site	Mauna Kea Obs.
Discovery date	21 July 1999
Designations
MPC designation	(44594) 1999 OX3
Alternative designations	1999 OX3
Minor planet category	TNO[1][2] · centaur[3][4] distant[5]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc	17.35 yr (6,338 days)
Aphelion	46.576 AU
Perihelion	17.589 AU
Semi-major axis	32.083 AU
Eccentricity	0.4518
Orbital period (sidereal)	181.72 yr (66,375 days)
Mean anomaly	347.21°
Mean motion	0° 0m 19.44s / day
Inclination	2.6248°
Longitude of ascending node	259.10°
Argument of perihelion	144.53°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	151 km[3][6] 159.78 km (calculated)[2]
Synodic rotation period	9.26 h[2][7]
Geometric albedo	0.10 (assumed)[2]
Spectral type	RR[3][8] · C[2]
Absolute magnitude (H)	6.07±0.19 (R)[9] · 6.835±0.078 (R)[10] · 7.1[1][2] · 7.4[7] · 7.718±0.092[lower-alpha 1] · 7.85[6]

Orbit and classification

1999 OX₃ orbits the Sun at a distance of 17.6–46.6 AU once every 181 years and 9 months (66,375 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.45 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Mauna Kea in 1999.[5]

Neptune has a semi-major axis of 30 AU and 1999 OX₃ has a semi-major axis of 32 AU. The Minor Planet Center (MPC) does not classify this object as a centaur because the MPC defines centaurs as having a semi-major axis of less than 30.066 AU. 1999 OX₃ crosses the orbits of both Neptune and Uranus and has an inclination of only 2.62°. The Deep Ecliptic Survey (DES) defines centaurs using a dynamical classification scheme, based on the behavior of orbital integrations over 10 million years. The DES defines centaurs as nonresonant objects whose osculating perihelia are less than the osculating semimajor axis of Neptune at any time during the integration. Using the dynamical definition of a centaur, 1999 OX₃ is a centaur.[4]

Physical characteristics

In July 2009, a rotational lightcurve of 1999 OX₃ was obtained from photometric observations. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 9.26 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.11 magnitude (U=2). The period, however, is ambiguous with alternative solutions (13.4 and 15.45 hours).[2][7]

Numbering and naming

This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 22 August 2002.[11] As of 2018, it has not been named.[5]

Notes

References

External links

• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (40001)-(45000) – Minor Planet Center
• (44594) 1999 OX3 at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• (44594) 1999 OX3 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

---