(527604) 2007 VL305, provisional designation 2007 VL305, is an inclined Neptune trojan that shares Neptune's orbit in the L4 Lagrangian point. It was discovered on 4 November 2007, by astronomers Andrew Becker, Andrew Puckett and Jeremy Kubica at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, United States, although images from 2005 have also been recovered.[2] It measures approximately 160 kilometers in diameter and was the sixth Neptune trojan to be discovered.[3] As of 2016[update], it is 34.1 AU from Neptune.[6]
| Discovery[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | A. C. Becker A. W. Puckett J. Kubica |
| Discovery site | Apache Point Obs. |
| Discovery date | 4 November 2007 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (527604) 2007 VL305 |
Alternative designations | 2007 VL305 |
Minor planet category | Neptune trojan · L4[3] centaur[1] · distant[2] |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 5.19 yr (1,894 days) |
| Aphelion | 31.729 AU |
| Perihelion | 28.122 AU |
Semi-major axis | 29.926 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.0603 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 163.71 yr (59,795 days) |
Mean anomaly | 10.760° |
Mean motion | 0° 0m 21.6s / day |
| Inclination | 28.155° |
Longitude of ascending node | 188.69° |
Argument of perihelion | 216.70° |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 110 km (est. at 0.10)[4] 160 km[5] |
Apparent magnitude | 22.2[5] |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 7.9[1] |
Neptune trojans can be considered resonant trans-Neptunian objects in a 1:1 mean-motion orbital resonance with Neptune. These trojans have a semi-major axis and an orbital period very similar to Neptune's (30.10 AU; 164.8 years).
2007 VL305 belongs to the leading L4 group, which orbits 60° ahead of Neptune's orbit. It orbits the Sun with a semi-major axis of 29.926 AU at a distance of 28.1–31.7 AU once every 163 years and 9 months (59,795 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.06 and an inclination of 28° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Its inclination is almost as high as that of 2011 HM102.[3]
The discoverers estimate that 2007 VL305 has a mean-diameter of 160 kilometers based on a magnitude of 22.2.[5] Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, it measures approximately 110 kilometers in diameter using an absolute magnitude of 7.9 with an assumed albedo of 0.10.[4]
This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 18 May 2019 (M.P.C. 114650).[7] As of 2019, it has not been named.[2] If named, it will follow the naming scheme already established with 385571 Otrera and 385695 Clete, which is to name these objects after figures related to the Amazons, an all-female warrior tribe that fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Trojans against the Greek.[8]
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