2004 KV 18

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Asteroid
2004 KV 18
Properties of the orbit ( animation )
Orbit type Neptune Trojan (L 5 )
Major semi-axis 30.3  AU
eccentricity 0.187
Perihelion - aphelion 24.7 AU - 36.0 AU
Inclination of the orbit plane 13.6 °
Sidereal period 168 a
Physical Properties
Absolute brightness 8.9 likes
history
Date of discovery May 24, 2004
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.

2004 KV 18 is a Neptune Trojan and runs around the sun on the Lagrange point L 5 of the planet Neptune (i.e. it follows Neptune 60 °).

Discovery and naming

2004 KV 18 was discovered in the second half of May 2004; however, it was not identified as a Neptune Trojan until 2011.

Track properties

2004 KV 18 orbits the sun on a prograde , elliptical orbit between about 25 and 36  AU from its center. The eccentricity of the orbit is 0.19, the orbit is almost 14 ° inclined to the ecliptic . The orbital period of 2004 KV 18 is almost 170 years.

2004 KV 18 is the most unstable, short-lived Neptune Trojan to date and the first to have its limited status as a Neptune Trojan clearly confirmed. It is believed that he is a former centaur who was captured by Uranus no more than 203,000 years ago, i.e. a relatively short time ago - astronomically speaking - and forced onto today's Trojan orbit. The asteroid will oscillate around the L 5 point for a maximum of another 165,000 years before entering a centaur orbit again. In 2004 KV 18 a primodial origin is not assumed - in contrast to most known Jupiter Trojans, whose orbits have been stable over billions of years.

According to a computer simulation study, 2.8% of the scattered population of centaurs within 6 to 34 astronomical units (i.e. the main area of ​​influence of the three gas planets Saturn , Uranus and Neptune) are co- ordinate objects of Neptune at any given time . Of these, 54% should describe horseshoe orbits , 10% should be quasi-satellites and 36% Neptune Trojans, evenly distributed over the L 4 and L 5 points of the Sun-Neptune system. The study also assumes 0.4% of the centaurs for the Uranus co-ordinates, which results in a value of 3.2% centaur Trojans for both ice giants .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Pu Guan, Li-Yong Zhou, Jian Li: Trailing (L5) Neptune Trojans: 2004 KV18 and 2008 LC18