2013 BL76

2013 BL76

The orbits of some of the most distant asteroids, 2013 BL76 at left.
Discovery[1][2]
Discovered by Mt. Lemmon Survey
Discovery date January 20, 2013
Designations
Trans-Neptunian object
Centaur[3]
Damocloid
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 2014-Dec-09 (JD 2457000.5)
Aphelion 2499 ±9.421 AU
~1840 AU[lower-alpha 1]
Perihelion

8.37360 AU (q)

±0.000 037 463
1254 ±4.726 AU (a)
~920 AU[lower-alpha 1]
Eccentricity

0.99332

±0.000 025 159
44,382 ±251 yr
~28000 yr[lower-alpha 1]
last perihelion = 2012-10-27
0.017154°
±0.000 097 074
Inclination

98.60714°

±0.000 072 594

180.19813°

±0.000 016 882

166.1133°

±0.000 565 900
Known satellites none
Earth MOID 7.397 AU
Physical characteristics
Dimensions ~15–40 km[5]
30-40 km (assumed albedo 0.05-0.1)
20.6
10.8[3]

    2013 BL76 is a minor planet (centaur)[3] from the inner Oort cloud. Using an epoch of December 2014, it is the minor planet with the third-largest heliocentric semi-major axis in the Solar system (2005 VX3 and 2012 DR30 both have a larger heliocentric semi-major axis).[6] 2013 BL76 has a barycentric semi-major axis of ~925 AU.[7][lower-alpha 1], which is also the third largest barycentric semi-major axis of any minor planet.

    With an absolute magnitude (H) of 10.8[3] and an unknown albedo, the object has an estimated diameter of 15–40 km.[5] Since it has not been seen out-gassing, it is not known if it is a comet or not. It might also be a damocloid, a type of minor planet that was originally a comet but lost most of its near-surface volatile materials after numerous orbits around the Sun. It also might be a dormant comet that simply has not been seen outgassing.

    2013 BL76 came to perihelion 8.3AU from the Sun on October 27, 2012, when it reached an apparent magnitude of about 20.[1] In 1927, when it was 100AU from the Sun, it had an apparent magnitude of about 30.8.[9] For comparison dwarf planet 90377 Sedna had an apparent magnitude of 21.7 when it was 100AU from the Sun.[10]

    2013 BL76 travels in a retrograde orbit around the Sun. Although officially retrograde, it is not so much retrograde as orbiting on a plane nearly perpendicular to that of the ecliptic. It has the 55th highest inclination of any known asteroid, after 2010 GW147 and before 2014 HS150.

    largest semimajor axes of minor planets

    name designation semi-major axis semi-major axis
    (barycentric)    		 perihelion aphelion aphelion
    (barycentric)    		 (H) Diameter (km) Orbital certainty (0-9)[lower-alpha 2] number of observations (arc in days)
    2002 GB32 209 206.7 35.7000 370 378 7.7 120 3 23(2255)
    2001 FP185 82158 220 216 34.2340 406 398 6.0 265 3 50(2461)
    2012 KA51 224 190 4.9 444 380 11.1 15 9 12(6)
    2000 CR105 148209 229.8 222.2 44.2000 415.5 400.4 6.3 320 3 54(3242)
    2013 LU28
    (2014 LJ9)     		230 230 8.698 460 451.5 7.9 115 5 56(385)
    2006 UL321 261 257 23.5 498 490.5 7.6 125 9 3(1)
    2012 VP113 265 263.158 80.4500 448 445.88 4.0 460 5 26(739)
    1996 PW 267 240 2.5557 532 480 14.0 7 2 250(506)
    2011 OR17
    (2010 KZ127)     		272 270 3.0987 550 540 13.1 10 1 101(748)
    2013 RF98 320 316.7 36.288 603 597 8.6
    (8.64 ±0.34175)     		90 5 56(38)
    2010 NV1 336756 322.7 286 9.41587 635.9 562 10.6 34 1 147(1815)
    2004 VN112 333 327.3 47.3321 620 607.3 6.4 314 3 25(1458)
    2009 MS9 418993 349.55 352.5 11.00317 688.1 694 10.0
    (9.9)     		42 1 134(1995)
    2010 GB174 367 351.1 48.5600 686 653.7 6.5 223 3 18(965)
    2007 DA61 475 500 2.6550 950 900 15.1
    (14.913 ±0.470)     		4.5 4 78(29)
    2010 BK118 490 385 6.1050 980 770 10.2 38 1 292(1319)
    2003 VB12 90377 Sedna 524.2 505.88 76.094 972.4 935.6 1.5 1000 2 90(8819)
    2007 TG422 530 501.8 35.5830 1030 968 6.2 343 2 34(1956)
    2000 OO67 87269 570 555 20.7900 1100 1110 9.2 60 2 34(2187)
    2002 RN109 720 850 2.7040 1440 1201 15.3 4 3 38(80)
    2006 SQ372 308933 765 792 24.172 1500 1585 8.1 110 2 65(1830)
    2013 AZ60 932 593 7.907275 1856 1176 10.2 38 2 102(678)
    2013 BL76 1251 940 8.37358 2494 1825 10.8 35 1 68(687)
    2012 DR30
    (2009 FW54)     		1263.7 1036 14.54434 2513.5 2030 7.1 171 0 203(5369)
    2005 VX3 1300 1200 4.133 2700 2038 14.1 6 4 50(81)

    Notes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Given the orbital eccentricity of this object, different epochs can generate quite different heliocentric unperturbed two-body best-fit solutions to the semi-major axis and orbital period. For objects at such high eccentricity, the Sun's barycentric coordinates are more stable than heliocentric coordinates.[8] Using JPL Horizons, the barycentric semi-major axis is approximately 925 AU.[7]
    2. ↑ 0-3 is high-certainty and well constrained, 9 is low-certainty and probably lost.

    References

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "2013 BL76". Seicchi Yoshida's Home Page. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
    2. ↑ "MPEC 2013-C12 : 2013 BL76". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2013-10-14. (K13B76L)
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "2013 BL76". IAU minor planet center. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
    4. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2013 BL76)" (last observation: 2014-08-25; arc: 1.88 years). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
    6. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: Asteroids and a > 100 (AU)". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved 2013-10-13. (Epoch defined at will change every 6 months or so)
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Horizons output. "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for 2013 BL76". Retrieved 2014-03-06. (Solution using the Solar System Barycenter and barycentric coordinates. Select Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0)
    8. ↑ Kaib, Nathan A.; Becker, Andrew C.; Jones, R. Lynne; Puckett, Andrew W.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Dilday, Benjamin; Frieman, Joshua A.; Oravetz, Daniel J.; Pan, Kaike; Quinn, Thomas; Schneider, Donald P.; Watters, Shannon (2009). "2006 SQ372: A Likely Long-Period Comet from the Inner Oort Cloud". The Astrophysical Journal 695 (1): 268–275. arXiv:0901.1690. Bibcode:2009ApJ...695..268K. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/695/1/268.
    9. ↑ "AstDys 2013BL76 Ephemerides for 1927 (when 100AU from Sun)". Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
    10. ↑ "AstDys (90377) Sedna Ephemerides for 1975 (when 100AU from Sun)". Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Retrieved 2013-10-14.