1996 PW
| Discovery[1] and designation | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking automated search camera from Haleakalā, Hawaii |
| Discovery date | August 9, 1996 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 1996 PW |
| trans-Neptunian object[2] | |
| Orbital characteristics[2][3] | |
| Epoch 9 December 2014 (2457000.5) | |
| Aphelion | 525.1 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.55469 AU |
| 263.8 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.99032 |
|
4,286 yr (1,565,413 d) | |
| 1.542° | |
| Inclination | 29.68635° |
| 144.65203° | |
| 181.7632° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions |
15 km (albedo 0.04, typical of extinct comets)[1] 8 km (albedo 0.15, typical of stony asteroids)[1] |
| 35.44 ± 0.02 h[4] | |
|
V − R = 0.56 ± 0.04 V − I = 1.03 ± 0.06 V − J = 1.80 ± 0.05 V − H = 2.19 ± 0.05 V − K = 2.32 ± 0.05 [4] D[4][5] Ld (SMASSII)[2][6] | |
| 14.0[2] | |
|
| |
1996 PW is a small Solar System body on an orbit typical of long-period comets but that has shown no sign of cometary activity around the time it was discovered.[4] Simulations indicate that it has most likely come from the Oort cloud, with a roughly equal probability of being an extinct comet and a rocky body that was originally scattered into the Oort cloud.[1] The discovery of 1996 PW prompted theoretical research that suggests that roughly 1 to 2 percent of the Oort cloud objects is rocky.[1][5]
1996 PW was discovered on 1996 August 9 by the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking automated search camera on Haleakalā, Hawaii.[1] It is the first object that is not an active comet discovered on an orbit typical of long-period comets.[1]
1996 PW has a rotation period of 35.44 ± 0.02 h and a double-peaked lightcurve with an amplitude of 0.44 ± 0.03 mag.[4] Its spectrum is moderately red and featureless,[7] typical of D-type asteroids and bare comet nuclei.[4][5][7] Its spectrum suggests an extinct comet.[7] The upper limit on 1996 PW's dust production is 0.03 kg/s.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Weissman, P. R. & Levison, H. F. (1997). Origin and evolution of the unusual object 1996 PW: Asteroids from the Oort cloud?. The Astrophysical Journal, 488, L133–L136
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (1996 PW)". 13 June 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-28.
- ↑ AstDys-2 Retrieved 2014-10-28
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Davies, J. K., McBride, N., Green, S. F., Mottola, S., Carsenty, U., Basran, D., Hudson, K. A., & Foster, M. J. (1998). The lightcurve and colors of unusual minor planet 1996 PW. Icarus, 132, 418–430
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Toth, I. (2005). Connections between asteroids and cometary nuclei. Asteroids, Comets, Meteors Proceedings IAU Symposium, 229, 67–96.
- ↑ Bus, S. J. & Binzel, R. P. (2002). Phase II of the small main-belt asteroid spectroscopic survey – A feature-based taxonomy. Icarus, 158, 146–177.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Hicks, M. D., Buratti, B. J., Newburn Jr., R. L., & Rabinowitz, D. L. (2000). Physical observations of 1996 PW and 1997 SE5: Extinct comets or D-type asteroids?. Icarus, 143(2), 354–359.
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