Astronomy:1996 PW
 Discovery images of 1996 PW from NEAT-GEODSS in August 1996 | |
| Discovery[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | NEAT |
| Discovery site | Haleakala Obs. |
| Discovery date | 9 August 1996 |
| Designations | |
| 1996 PW | |
| Minor planet category | TNO[3] · damocloid[4][5] distant[1] · unusual[6] |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 2 | |
| Observation arc | 1.39 yr (506 d) |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 504.23 AU |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 2.4933 AU |
| 253.36 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.9902 |
| Orbital period | 4033 yr (1,473,017 d) |
| Mean anomaly | 2.0281° |
| Mean motion | 0° 0m 0.72s / day |
| Inclination | 29.956° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 144.38° |
| 181.60° | |
| TJupiter | 1.7130 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean diameter | 7 km[4] 8 km (est. at 0.15)[2] 15 km (est. at 0.04)[2] |
| Rotation period | 35.44 h[7][8] |
| Ld (SMASS)[3][7][9] D[8][10] B–R = 0.56±0.04 V–I = 1.03±0.06 V–J = 1.80±0.05 V–H = 2.19±0.05 V–K = 2.32±0.05[8] | |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.0[1][3] |
1996 PW is an exceptionally eccentric trans-Neptunian object and damocloid on an orbit typical of long-period comets but one that showed no sign of cometary activity around the time it was discovered.[8] The unusual object measures approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) in diameter and has a rotation period of 35.4 hours and likely an elongated shape.[7]
Description
1996 PW orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.5–504 AU once every 4,033 years (semi-major axis of 253 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.99 and an inclination of 30° with respect to the ecliptic.[3]
Simulations indicate that it has most likely come from the Oort cloud, with a roughly equal probability of being an extinct comet and a rocky body that was originally scattered into the Oort cloud. The discovery of 1996 PW prompted theoretical research that suggests that roughly 1 to 2 percent of the Oort cloud objects are rocky.[2][10]
1996 PW was first observed on 9 August 1996 by the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) automated search camera on Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii. It is the first object that is not an active comet discovered on an orbit typical of long-period comets.[2]
1996 PW has a rotation period of 35.44±0.02 hours and a double-peaked lightcurve with a high amplitude of 0.44±0.03 magnitude ({{{1}}}).[7][8] Its spectrum is moderately red and featureless,[11] typical of D-type asteroids and bare comet nuclei.[8][10][11] Its spectrum suggests an extinct comet.[11] The upper limit on 1996 PW's dust production is 0.03 kg/s.[8]
See also
- Extinct comets
- List of Solar System objects by greatest aphelion
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "1996 PW". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=1996+PW. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Weissman, Paul R.; Lecison, Harold F. (March 1997). "Origin and evolution of the unusual object 1996 PW". The Astrophysical Journal 488 (2): 529. doi:10.1086/310940. Bibcode: 1997LPI....28.1529W.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (1996 PW)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=3009162. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Johnston, Wm. Robert (15 October 2017). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/tnoslist.html. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ↑ Akimasa Nakamura (2009-05-02). "Table of Damocloid objects, or Oort cloud asteroids". Lowell Observatory. http://ftp.lowell.edu/pub/bas/damocloid. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ↑ "List Of Other Unusual Objects". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/t_others.html. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "LCDB Data for (1996+PW)". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=0%7C1996+PW. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Davies, John K.; McBride, Neil; Green, Simon F.; Mottola, Stefano; Carsenty, Uri; Basran, Devinder et al. (April 1998). "The Lightcurve and Colors of Unusual Minor Planet 1996 PW". Icarus 132 (2): 418–430. doi:10.1006/icar.1998.5888. Bibcode: 1998Icar..132..418D.
- ↑ Bus, Schelte J.; Binzel, Richard P. (July 2002). "Phase II of the Small Main-Belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey. A Feature-Based Taxonomy". Icarus 158 (1): 146–177. doi:10.1006/icar.2002.6856. Bibcode: 2002Icar..158..146B. http://www.cesr.fr/~klotz/ohpstages/bus_spectrum1_sdarticle.pdf. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Toth, Imre (December 2005). "Connections between asteroids and cometary nuclei". Asteroids 1: 67–96. doi:10.1017/S174392130500668X. Bibcode: 2006IAUS..229...67T.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Hicks, M. D.; Buratti, B. J.; Newburn, R. L.; Rabinowitz, D. L. (February 2000). "Physical Observations of 1996 PW and 1997 SE5: Extinct Comets or D-Type Asteroids?". Icarus 143 (2): 354–359. doi:10.1006/icar.1999.6258. Bibcode: 2000Icar..143..354H.
External links
- 1996 PW, Small Bodies Data Ferret
- 1996 PW at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 1996 PW at the JPL Small-Body Database
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