2020 MK4 is an active centaur orbiting in the outer Solar System between Jupiter and Saturn.[3] It was discovered on 24 June 2020, by the Pan-STARRS survey at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii, United States.[4]
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Pan-STARRS |
| Discovery site | Haleakala Obs. |
| Discovery date | 24 June 2020 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | 2020 MK4 |
Minor planet category | centaur[1][2] |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 17 December 2020 (JD 2459200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 147 days (0.402 yr) |
| Aphelion | 6.25417 AU (0.935611 Tm) |
| Perihelion | 6.0253 AU (901.37 Gm) |
Semi-major axis | 6.14521 AU (0.919310 Tm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.01952 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 15.23 yr (5564.22 d) |
Mean anomaly | 138.7° |
Mean motion | 0° 3m 52.917s / day |
| Inclination | 6.72263° |
Longitude of ascending node | 1.446° |
Argument of perihelion | 164.5° |
| Earth MOID | 5.03147 AU (752.697 Gm) |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.578149 AU (86.4899 Gm) |
| TJupiter | 3.005 |
| Physical characteristics | |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 11.3[1] |
A lower limit for the absolute magnitude of the nucleus is Hg=11.30±0.03 mag that, for an albedo in the range 0.1—0.04, gives an upper limit for its size in the interval (23, 37) km.[3]
The values of its color indexes, (g′-r′)=0.42±0.04 and (r′-i′)=0.17±0.04, are similar to the solar ones.[3] Its surface colors place this centaur among the most extreme members of the gray group.[3]
2020 MK4 was discovered in outburst state[5] and by late 2020, it had returned to its regular brightness.[3]
Centaurs have short dynamical lives due to strong interactions with the giant planets.[6] 2020 MK4 follows a very chaotic orbital evolution that may lead it to be ejected from the Solar System during the next 200,000 yr.[3] Extensive numerical simulations indicate that 2020 MK4 may have experienced relatively close flybys with comet 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, in some cases with one of both objects were transient Jovian satellites; during these events, 2020 MK4 may have crossed the coma of comet 29P when in outburst.[3]
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