2013 AZ60

2013 AZ60
Discovery[1]
Discovered by Mt. Lemmon Survey
Discovery date January 10, 2013
Designations
trans-Neptunian object
centaur[2]
Oort cloud object
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc 1160 days (3.18 yr)
Aphelion 1,450.1 AU (216.93 Tm) (Q)
Perihelion 7.9103 AU (1.18336 Tm) (q)
729.00 AU (109.057 Tm) (a)
Eccentricity 0.98915 (e)
19683.37 yr (7189352.7 d)
0.020590° (M)
0.000050074°/day (n)
Inclination 16.539° (i)
349.21° (Ω)
158.23° (ω)
Known satellites 0
Earth MOID 6.92818 AU (1.036441 Tm)
Jupiter MOID 2.56888 AU (384.299 Gm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions ~40 km[4]
62.3 ± 5.3 km[5]
9.39 ± 0.22 hours[5]
0.029[5]
19.6
10.2,[2] 10.2[3]

    2013 AZ60 is a small Solar System body (extended centaur)[2] from the scattered disk or inner Oort cloud. 2013 AZ60 has the 5th-largest semi-major axis of a minor planet not detected outgassing like a comet[6] (2013 BL76, 2005 VX3 and 2012 DR30 have a larger semi-major axis).

    2013 AZ60 came to perihelion in November 2014 at a distance of 7.9 AU from the Sun (inside of the orbit of Saturn). With an absolute magnitude (H) of 10.2,[2] 2013 AZ60 has an estimated diameter of 40 km.[4] Comet Hale–Bopp, which is roughly the same size, was not discovered until it was 7.2 AU from the Sun and had started outgassing CO. 2013 AZ60 may be discovered to be cometary as it comes to perihelion.

    After leaving the planetary region of the Solar System, 2013 AZ60 will have a barycentric aphelion of 828 AU with an orbital period of 8500 years.

    Orbital evolution
    Epoch Barycentric
    Aphelion (Q)
    (AU)     		Orbital
    period
    yr
    1950 1263 16000
    2050 828 8500

    Physical characteristics and orbit

    A 2016 study found 2013 AZ60 to have a comet-like albedo of 2.9% (darker than any other known ejected centaur) and a color typical of D-type asteroids. It is unknown if it is a so-called "super comet" or an extinct comet, considering its large distance from the Sun. It was also determined that 2013 AZ60 has a diameter of 62.3 ± 5.3 kilometers, larger than initially believed. A light curve analysis found it to have a rotation period of 9.39 ± 0.22 hours, typical of asteroids its size. No significant satellites were detected.

    It was also found that 2013 AZ60 is on an extremely unstable orbit, with a ~64% chance of being ejected from the Solar system in 1 million years, and a ~25% chance of being ejected in the next 500,000 years, as well as a 4.2% chance of its orbit venturing into the neighborhood of Earth.[5]

    Comparison

    Sedna compared to some other very distant orbiting bodies. Including 90377 Sedna, 2015 DB216 (orbit wrong), 2000 OO67, 2004 VN112, 2005 VX3, 2006 SQ372, 2007 TG422, 2007 DA61, 2009 MS9, 2010 GB174, 2010 NV1, 2010 BK118, 2012 DR30, 2012 VP113, 2013 BL76, 2013 AZ60, 2013 RF98, 2015 ER61

    See also

    Have very large aphelion

    References

    1. ↑ "2013 AZ60". Seicchi Yoshida's Home Page. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
    2. 1 2 3 4 "2013 AZ60". IAU minor planet center. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
    3. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2013 AZ60)" (last observation: 2016-01-08; arc: 2.99 yr). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
    4. 1 2 "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
    5. 1 2 3 4 Pál, Andras (2016-07-20). "Physical properties of the extreme centaur and super-comet candidate 2013 AZ60". Astronomy & Astrophysics. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
    6. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: Asteroids and a > 100 (AU)". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved 2013-10-13.

    External links

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