(15760) 1992 QB1

(15760) 1992 QB1

Orbit of (15760) 1992 QB1, planets (red) and the Sun (black). The outermost planet visible is Neptune.
Discovery[1]
Discovered by David C. Jewitt,
Jane X. Luu
Discovery date August 30, 1992
Designations
Trans-Neptunian object
(cubewano)[2]
Orbital characteristics
Epoch December 9, 2014 (JD 2457000.5)[3]
Aphelion 46.8752 AU
Perihelion 40.9208 AU
43.8980 AU
Eccentricity 0.0678
290.85 a
4.4961 km/s
24.1405°
Inclination 2.1907°
359.4942°
4.2972°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions

167 km[4]

108 km[5]
Albedo 0.2 (expected from theory)[5]
~23.4[6]
7.1[3]

    (15760) 1992 QB1, also written (15760) 1992 QB1, was the first trans-Neptunian object to be discovered after Pluto and Charon. It was discovered in 1992 by David C. Jewitt and Jane X. Luu at the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii. It is a classical Kuiper belt object and gave rise to the name cubewano for this kind of object, after the "QB1" portion of its designation.[7] Decoding its provisional designation, "QB1" reveals that it was the 27th object found in the second half of August of that year. Over 1,000 further objects have been found beyond Neptune, a good number of which are classical Kuiper belt objects.

    The discoverers suggested the name "Smiley" for (15760) 1992 QB1,[8] but the name was already used for an asteroid 1613 Smiley, named after the American astronomer Charles Hugh Smiley. It has received the number 15760[2] and remains unnamed; it is normally referred to simply as "QB1", even though this is technically ambiguous without the year of discovery.

    References

    1. ↑ "IAUC 5611: 1992 QB1". IAU Minor Planet Center. 14 September 1992. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Marc W. Buie (30 November 1999). "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 15760". SwRI, Space Science Department. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
    4. ↑ William Robert Johnston (28 December 2015). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mike Brown, 'How many dwarf planets are there in the outer solar system? Accessed 2014-11-19
    6. ↑ "AstDys (15760) 1992QB1 Ephemerides". Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
    7. ↑ Dr. David Jewitt. "Classical Kuiper Belt Objects". David Jewitt/UCLA. Archived from the original on 2013-07-05. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
    8. ↑ What Lurks in the Outer Solar System? (Science@NASA, 13 September 2001)

    External links