(208996) 2003 AZ84
|
|
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by |
C. Trujillo M. E. Brown |
| Discovery site | NEAT–Palomar Obs. (644) |
| Discovery date | 13 January 2003 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | (208996) 2003 AZ84 |
| 2003 AZ84 | |
| Distant · TNO · Plutino | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 3 | |
| Observation arc | 19.96 yr (7,289 days) |
| Aphelion | 46.641 AU |
| Perihelion | 32.480 AU |
| 39.560 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1790 |
| 248.83 yr (90,884 days) | |
| 230.80° | |
| 0° 0m 14.4s / day | |
| Inclination | 13.583° |
| 252.13° | |
| 13.973° | |
| Known satellites | 1(diameter: est. 68 km) (unrecovered) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions |
573±21 km 686±96 km 727±67 km 737.06 km (derived) 747 km |
|
6.71±0.05 h 6.76±0.02 h 6.79±0.05 h 13.42 h |
|
|
0.107±0.023 0.09–0.16 0.10 (assumed) |
|
| BB · C B–V = 0.67±0.05 V–R = 0.38±0.04 |
|
| 20.2 (opposition) | |
|
3.537±0.053 (R) 3.54±0.03 · 3.7 3.74±0.08 3.77±0.04 3.775±0.019 3.78±0.06 |
|
(208996) 2003 AZ84 is a binarytrans-Neptunian object from the outer regions of the Solar System, approximately 700 kilometers in diameter. It belongs to the plutinos – a group of minor planets named after its largest member Pluto – as it orbits in a 2:3 resonance with Neptune in the Kuiper belt. It was discovered on 13 January 2003, by American astronomers Chad Trujillo and Michael Brown during the NEAT survey using the Samuel Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory.
Its lightcurve amplitude deviates little from that of an ellipsoid, which suggests that it is likely one with small albedo spots.
Considered a very likely dwarf planet by astronomers Gonzalo Tancredi and Michael Brown, it is currently not recognized as such by the IAU.
2003 AZ84 is a plutino, which means that it is in a 2:3 orbital resonance with Neptune, similar to that of Pluto. It orbits the Sun in just over 247 Earth years. It is currently 45.3 AU from the Sun and came to aphelion (farthest distance from the Sun) in 1982. It will come to perihelion in 2107. Simulations by the Deep Ecliptic Survey (DES) show that over the next 10 million years (208996) 2003 AZ84 will not come closer (qmin) than 31.6 AU from the Sun (it will stay farther away than Neptune).
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