(120216) 2004 EW95

(120216) 2004 EW95
Discovery[1]
Discovered by Kitt Peak
Discovery date 2004-03-14
Designations
MPC designation (120216) 2004 EW95
Minor planet
category		 Plutino[2][3]
Epoch June 18, 2009 (2455000.5)
Aphelion 51.902 AU (Q)
Perihelion 26.954 AU (q)
Semi-major axis 39.428 AU (a)
Eccentricity 0.31636
Orbital period 247.59 yr
Mean anomaly 347.10° (M)
Inclination 29.295°
Longitude of ascending node 25.743°
Argument of perihelion 204.85°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions ~175 km (assumed)[4]
Albedo 0.09 (assumed)
Apparent magnitude ~21.1[5]
Absolute magnitude (H) 6.9[1]

(120216) 2004 EW95, provisionally known as 2004 EW95, is a plutino, like Pluto, in a 2:3 resonance with Neptune.[2][3] For every 2 orbits that a plutino makes, Neptune orbits 3 times.

Inside the orbit of Neptune

EW95 is currently 27.6 AU from the Sun,[5] and will come to perihelion (q=26.95 AU) in 2018.[1] This means that this object is currently inside the orbit of the planet Neptune. Like Pluto, this plutino spends part of its orbit closer to the Sun than Neptune is even though their orbits are controlled by Neptune. Simulations by the Deep Ecliptic Survey (DES) show that over the next 10 million years EW95 can acquire a perihelion distance (qmin) as small as 24.8 AU.[3]

Dwarf-planet candidate Huya and plutino (15875) 1996 TP66 are also currently inside the orbit of Neptune.

EW95 comes within 9 AU of Uranus and stays more than 21 AU from Neptune over a 14,000 year period.[6]

Assuming a generic trans-Neptunian object albedo of 0.09, EW95 is about 175 km in diameter.[4]

It has been observed 44 times over 6 oppositions and has an orbit quality of 2.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 120216 (2004 EW95)". 2009-03-31 last obs. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=120216. Retrieved 2009-03-24. 
  2. ^ a b "MPEC 2009-E53 :Distant Minor Planets (2009 MAR. 30.0 TT)". Minor Planet Center. 2009-03-11. http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/mpec/K09/K09E53.html. Retrieved 2009-03-24. 
  3. ^ a b c Marc W. Buie (2009-05-26 using 44 observations). "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 120216". SwRI (Space Science Department). http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~buie/kbo/astrom/120216.html. Retrieved 2009-09-18. 
  4. ^ a b Wm. Robert Johnston (22 August 2008). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Archived from the original on 2009-04-18. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1240086909805075. Retrieved 2009-03-24. 
  5. ^ a b "AstDys (120216) 2004EW95 Ephemerides". Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Archived from the original on 2009-04-18. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1240086915277179. Retrieved 2009-03-24. 
  6. ^ "MPEC 2004-H77 : 2004 EW95". Minor Planet Center. 2004-04-26. http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/mpec/K04/K04H77.html. Retrieved 2009-03-24. 

External links