2005 TN53 is an inclined Neptune trojan leading Neptune's orbit in the outer Solar System, approximately 80 kilometers in diameter. It was first observed on 7 October 2005, by American astronomers Scott Sheppard and Chad Trujillo at Las Campanas Observatory in the Atacama desert of Chile.[2][3] It was the third such body to be discovered, and the first with a significant orbital inclination, which showed that the population as a whole is very dynamically excited.
| Discovery[1][2][3] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | |
| Discovery site | Las Campanas Obs. |
| Discovery date | 7 October 2005 (discovery: first observation only) |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | 2005 TN53 |
Minor planet category |
|
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 8.00 yr (2,921 days) |
| Aphelion | 31.940 AU |
| Perihelion | 28.088 AU |
Semi-major axis | 30.014 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.0642 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 164.43 yr (60,059 days) |
Mean anomaly | 301.81° |
Mean motion | 0° 0m 21.6s / day |
| Inclination | 25.044° |
Longitude of ascending node | 9.3277° |
Argument of perihelion | 90.167° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | |
Apparent magnitude | 23.7[6] |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 9.0[1] |
Neptune trojans are resonant trans-Neptunian objects (TNO) 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).
2005 TN53 belongs to the larger L4 group, which leads 60° ahead Neptune's orbit. It orbits the Sun with a semi-major axis of 30.014 AU at a distance of 28.1–31.9 AU once every 164 years and 5 months (60,059 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.06 and an inclination of 25° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
It has the same orbital period as Neptune and orbits at the L4 Lagrangian point about 60° ahead of Neptune.[4] It has an inclination of 25 degrees.[1][4]
The discoverers estimate that 2005 TN53 has a mean-diameter of 80 kilometers based on a magnitude of 23.7.[6] Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, it measures approximately 68 kilometers in diameter using an absolute magnitude of 9.0 and an assumed albedo of 0.10.[5]
Due to its orbital uncertainty, this minor planet has not been numbered and its official discoverers have not been determined.[1][2] If named, it will follow the naming scheme already established with 385571 Otrera, 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.[7]
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| L4 |
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| L5 |
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