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Discovery
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|---|---|
| Discovered by | C. Trujillo, D. C. Jewitt, and J. X. Luu |
| Discovery date | October 11, 1996 |
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Designations
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| MPC designation | (15875) 1996 TP66 |
| Alternate name(s) | none |
| Minor planet category |
TNO (plutino)[1][2][3] |
| Epoch December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5) | |
| Aphelion | 52.051 AU (7786.662 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 26.353 AU (3942.414 Gm) |
| Semi-major axis | 39.202 AU (5864.538 Gm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.328 |
| Orbital period | 245.45 a (89652.206 d) |
| Average orbital speed | 4.63 km/s |
| Mean anomaly | 9.865° |
| Inclination | 5.693° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 316.751° |
| Argument of perihelion | 75.113° |
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Physical characteristics
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| Dimensions | 160 ± 45 km (adopted)[5] |
| Mass | 4.5×1019 kg |
| Mean density | 2.0? g/cm3 |
| Equatorial surface gravity | 0.0978 m/s2 |
| Escape velocity | 0.1850 km/s |
| Albedo | 0.04-0.14[5] |
| Temperature | ~44 K |
| Apparent magnitude | 21.0[6] |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 6.8[4] |
(15875) 1996 TP66, also written as (15875) 1996 TP66, is a resonant trans-Neptunian object in 2:3 resonance with Neptune, like Pluto (plutino). It was discovered on October 11, 1996 by Chad Trujillo, David C. Jewitt, and Jane X. Luu at the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii.
This plutino is currently 27 AU from the Sun,[6] and came to perihelion (q=26.3 AU) in 2000.[4] This means that this small plutino is currently well inside the orbit of the planet Neptune. Like Pluto, this plutino spends part of its orbit closer to the Sun than Neptune even though their orbits are dominated by Neptune. Simulations by the Deep Ecliptic Survey (DES) show that over the next 10 million years 1996 TP66 can acquire a perihelion distance (qmin) as small as 25.9 AU.[1]
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This small plutino is currently well inside the orbit of Neptune even though its orbit is dominated by Neptune. |
The motion of (15875) 1996 TP66 (red) and Pluto (grey) in a rotating frame with a period equal to Neptune's orbital period. (Neptune is held stationary.) |
Dwarf-planet candidate Huya and plutino (120216) 2004 EW95 are also currently inside the orbit of Neptune.
Calculations by the Minor Planet Center in 1997 showed that the eccentric orbit comes within 6.9 AU of Uranus and stays more than 22.6 AU from Neptune over a 14,000-year period centered on the present.[3]
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