2003 QX ₁₁₁

Asteroid 2003 QX 111
Properties of the orbit ( animation ) Epoch:  April 27, 2019 ( JD 2,458,600.5)
Orbit type	Plutino , "Distant Object"
Major semi-axis	39.282  AU
eccentricity	0.136
Perihelion - aphelion	33,929 AU - 44,635 AU
Inclination of the orbit plane	9.5 °
Length of the ascending node	157.5 °
Argument of the periapsis	100.9 °
Time of passage of the perihelion	August 14, 1947
Sidereal period	246 a 2.5 M.
Mean orbital velocity	4.713 km / s
Physical Properties
Medium diameter	${\displaystyle 434_{-86}^{+132}\mathrm {km} }$
Albedo	${\displaystyle 0{,}018_{-0,009}^{+0,017}\mathrm {} }$
Absolute brightness	6.60 - 6.76 ± 0.5 mag
history
Explorer	Marc W. Buie Lawrence H. Wasserman Robert L. Millis
Date of discovery	August 25, 2003
Source: Unless otherwise stated, the data comes from JPL Small-Body Database Browser . The affiliation to an asteroid family is automatically determined from the AstDyS-2 database . Please also note the note on asteroid items.

2003 QX ₁₁₁ is a large trans-Neptunian object in the Kuiper Belt , which is classified as Plutino (RKBO 2: 3) in terms of orbital dynamics . Because of its size, the asteroid is a dwarf planet candidate .

discovery

2003 QX ₁₁₁ was discovered on August 25, 2003 by a team of astronomers consisting of Marc Buie , Larry Wasserman and Robert Millis, using the 4.0 m Víctor M. Blanco telescope (DECam) at the Cerro Tololo Observatory ( Chile ) . The discovery was announced along with Manwë on September 18, 2003 , 2003 QY ₁₁₁ , 2003 QZ ₁₁₁ , 2003 QA _112, and 2003 QB ₁₁₂ .

The asteroid's observation sheet begins with the official discovery observation on August 25, 2003. In September 2017, there were only 21 observations over a period of eight years. The last observation so far was made in October 2010 at the Lowell Observatory . (As of March 7, 2019)

properties

Orbit

2003 QX ₁₁₁ orbits the sun in 246.21 years on a slightly elliptical orbit between 33.93  AU and 44.64 AU from its center. The eccentricity of the orbit is 0.136, the orbit is inclined at 9.53 ° to the ecliptic . The planetoid is currently 41.28 AU from the sun. He passed through perihelion for the last time in 1947, so the next perihelion should take place in 2193.

Both Marc Buie ( DES ) and the Minor Planet Center classify the planetoid as Plutino ; the latter also generally lists it as a "distant object" .

size

In 2009, the diameter was determined to be 434 km, based on an unusually low reflectivity of 1.8% and an absolute brightness of 6.76  ^m . Assuming a diameter of 434 km, this results in a total surface of around 592,000 km². In 2013, however, the diameter was determined to be just 283 km, based on a slightly higher reflectivity of 5.1% and an absolute brightness of 6.6  ^m  , which would result in a total surface of around 252,000 km². The apparent magnitude of the 2003 QX ₁₁₁ is 22.85  ^m .

Since it can be assumed that 2003 QX ₁₁₁ could be in hydrostatic equilibrium due to its size and would therefore have to be largely round, it could meet the criteria for classification as a dwarf planet . Mike Brown , who himself estimates the diameter at 453 km ( albedo 2%, absolute brightness 6.8  ^m ), assumes that the 2003 QX _{111 is} possibly a dwarf planet.

Determinations of the diameter for 2003 QX ₁₁₁

year	Dimensions km	source
2009	434.0 + 0132.0- 086.0	Brucker et al. a.
2013	283.0	Mommert et al. a.
2018	453.0	Brown
The most precise determination is marked in bold .

See also

• List of trans-Neptunian objects
• List of dwarf planets of the solar system
• List of asteroids
• List of moons from asteroids

Web links

• How many dwarf planets are there in the outer solar system? Current list of the largest TNOs from Mike Brown
• Free the dwarf planets! Mike Brown's column on the IAU and the dwarf planets regarding their classifications (23 August 2011)

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Marc W. Buie : Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 03QX111 . SwRI (Space Science Department). Retrieved March 7, 2019.
2. ↑ ^{a b} MPC : MPEC 2010-S44: Distant Minor Planets (2010 OCT.11.0 TT) . IAU . September 25, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
3. ^ Wm. R. Johnston: List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects . Johnston's Archives. October 7, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
4. ↑ ^{a b c} 2003 QX111 at the IAU Minor Planet Center (English). Accessed March 7, 2019.
5. ↑ v ≈ π * a / period (1 + sqrt (1-e²))
6. ↑ ^{a b c d} M. Brucker u. a .: High Albedos of Low Inclination Classical Kuiper Belt Objects (PDF) . In: Icarus . January 1, 2009, p. 26. arxiv : 0812.4290 . bibcode : 2012A & A ... 546A..86P . doi : 10.1016 / j.icarus.2008.12.040 .
7. ↑ ^{a b c} M. Mommert u. a .: Remnant planetesimals and their collisional fragments: Physical characterization from thermal-infrared observations . September 23, 2013. Accessed March 7, 2019.
8. ↑ MPC : MPEC 2003-S19: 2003 QW111, 2003 QX111, 2003 QY111, 2003 QZ111, 2003 QA112, 2003 QB112 . IAU . September 18, 2003. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
9. ↑ 2003 QX111 in the Small-Body Database of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (English). Retrieved March 7, 2019.
10. ↑ 2003 QX111 in the database of the "Asteroids - Dynamic Site" (AstDyS-2, English).
11. ↑ ^{a b} Mike Brown : How many dwarf planets are there in the outer solar system? . CalTech . November 12, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.