(78799) 2002 XW93
| Discovery[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 10 December 2002 |
| Designations | |
| (78799) 2002 XW93 | |
| 2002 XW93 | |
| TNO[2] · centaur[3] other TNO[4] · distant[1] | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 2025 May 05 (JD 2460800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 2 | |
| Observation arc | 35.19 yr (12,854 d) |
| Earliest precovery date | 17 December 1989 |
| Aphelion | 46.88 AU |
| Perihelion | 28.49 AU |
| 37.68 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2439 |
| 231.33 yr (84493±4 d) | |
| 153.53° | |
| 0° 0m 15.34s / day | |
| Inclination | 14.3307° |
| 46.700° | |
| 248.55° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 565+71 −73 km[3] | |
| 0.038+0.043 −0.025[3] | |
| 4.86[1][2] | |
(78799) 2002 XW93, provisional designation 2002 XW93, is a large trans-Neptunian object and centaur in the outer Solar System, approximately 500–600 kilometers (300–400 mi) in diameter. It was discovered on 10 December 2002, by astronomers at the Palomar Observatory in California.[1]
Orbit and physical characteristics
2002 XW93 orbits the Sun at a distance of 27.9–46.8 AU once every 228 years and 4 months (83,410 days; semi-major axis of 37.36 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.25 and an inclination of 14° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] The body's observation arc begins with a precovery published by the Digitized Sky Survey and taken Palomar in December 1989, or 13 years prior to its discovery observation.[1]
On 9 September 1926, it most recently reached perihelion, when it was nearest to the Sun.[2] It is a near 5:7 resonant trans-Neptunian object.
Numbering and naming
This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 15 April 2004.[5] As of 2025, it has not been named.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "78799 (2002 XW93)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 78799 (2002 XW93)" (2025-02-25 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Vilenius, E.; Kiss, C.; Mommert, M.; Müller, T.; Santos-Sanz, P.; Pal, A.; et al. (May 2012). ""TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region VI. Herschel/PACS observations and thermal modeling of 19 classical Kuiper belt objects" (PDF). Astronomy & Astrophysics. 541: 17. arXiv:1204.0697. Bibcode:2012A&A...541A..94V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201118743. S2CID 54222700. A94.
- ^ Johnston, Wm. Robert (7 October 2018). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (75001)-(80000) – Minor Planet Center
- (78799) 2002 XW93 at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- (78799) 2002 XW93 at the JPL Small-Body Database