2002 RN109
2002 RN109 is a trans-Neptunian object and damocloid on a highly eccentric, cometary-like orbit. It was first observed on 6 September 2002, by astronomers with the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research at the Lincoln Lab's ETS near Socorro, New Mexico, in the United States.[1] The unusual object measures approximately 4 kilometers (2 miles) in diameter.[3] It has the second highest orbital eccentricity of any known minor planet, after 2005 VX3.[5]
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | LINEAR |
| Discovery site | Lincoln Lab's ETS |
| Discovery date | 6 September 2002 |
| Designations | |
| 2002 RN109 | |
| TNO [2] · damocloid [3] unusual [4] · distant [1] | |
| Orbital characteristics [2] | |
| Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 80 days |
| Aphelion | 1090.71 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.6915 AU |
| 546.70 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.9951 |
| 12,783 yr | |
| 0.4600° | |
| 0° 0m 0.36s / day | |
| Inclination | 58.137° |
| 170.50° | |
| 212.28° | |
| TJupiter | 1.0820 |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 4 km (est.)[3] |
| 0.09 (assumed)[3] | |
| 15.3[1][2] | |
Description
2002 RN109 may be a dormant comet that has not been seen outgassing. In the past it may have made closer approaches to the Sun that could have removed most near-surface volatiles. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–1,091 AU once every 12783 years (semi-major axis of 546.7 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.9951 and an inclination of 58° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] The body's observation arc begins with a precovery observation at Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site on 16 August 2002, or three weeks prior to its first observation.[1] The observation arc only spans over 80 days. The object has not been observed since November 2002 about 2 months before it came to perihelion 2.7 AU from the Sun.[2] During perihelion passage the object was 2.9 AU from Earth.
2002 RN109 belongs to the dynamical group of damocloids due to its low Tisserand parameter (TJupiter of 1.0820).[2] It is also a Jupiter-, Saturn-, Uranus-, and Neptune-crosser. The object has the seventh-largest heliocentric semi-major axis and aphelion of all known minor planets, while its extreme eccentricity brings it well within the orbit of Jupiter when at perihelion.
References
- "2002 RN109". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2002 RN109)" (2002-11-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- Johnston, Wm. Robert (7 October 2018). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- "List Of Other Unusual Objects". Minor Planet Center. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: Asteroids and a > 100 (AU)". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved 15 October 2014. (Epoch defined at will change every 6 months or so)