Discovery [1] [2] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | NEAT |
Discovery site | Haleakala Obs. |
Discovery date | 9 August 1996 |
Designations | |
1996 PW | |
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) |
Aphelion | 504.23 AU |
Perihelion | 2.4933 AU |
253.36 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.9902 |
4033 yr (1,473,017 d) | |
2.0281 ° | |
0° 0m 0.72s / day | |
Inclination | 29.956° |
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] |
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] | |
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]
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 ( U=3). [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]
Discovery [1] [2] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | NEAT |
Discovery site | Haleakala Obs. |
Discovery date | 9 August 1996 |
Designations | |
1996 PW | |
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) |
Aphelion | 504.23 AU |
Perihelion | 2.4933 AU |
253.36 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.9902 |
4033 yr (1,473,017 d) | |
2.0281 ° | |
0° 0m 0.72s / day | |
Inclination | 29.956° |
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] |
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] | |
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]
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 ( U=3). [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]