Discovery [1] [2] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Mount Lemmon Srvy. |
Discovery site |
Mount Lemmon Obs. (first observed only) |
Discovery date | 1 November 2005 |
Designations | |
2005 VX3 | |
TNO
[3] ·
damocloid
[4] unusual [5] · distant [1] | |
Orbital characteristics [3] | |
Epoch 27 April 2019 ( JD 2458600.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
Observation arc | 81 days |
Aphelion | 1825.61 AU |
Perihelion | 4.1058 AU |
914.86 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.9955 |
27,672 yr | |
0.1730 ° | |
0° 0m 0s / day | |
Inclination | 112.22° |
255.35° | |
196.37° | |
Jupiter MOID | 0.8884 AU |
TJupiter | −0.9430 |
Physical characteristics | |
7 km (est.) [4] | |
0.09 (assumed) [4] | |
14.1 [1] [3] | |
2005 VX3 is trans-Neptunian object and retrograde damocloid on a highly eccentric, cometary-like orbit. It was first observed on 1 November 2005, by astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, United States. The unusual object measures approximately 7 kilometers (4 miles) in diameter. [4] It has the 3rd largest known heliocentric semi-major axis and aphelion. [6] Additionally its perihelion lies within the orbit of Jupiter, which means it also has the largest orbital eccentricity of any known minor planet.
2005 VX3 orbits the Sun at a distance of 4.1–1,826 AU once every 27,672 years ( semi-major axis of 915 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.9955 and an inclination of 112 ° with respect to the ecliptic. It belongs to the dynamical group of damocloids due to its retrograde orbit and its low Tisserand parameter (TJupiter of −0.9430). [3] It is a Jupiter-, Saturn-, Uranus-, and Neptune-crosser. The body's observation arc begins with its first observation by the Mount Lemmon Survey on 1 November 2005. [1]
Orbital evolution — Barycentric elements | |||
Year
[7] ( epoch) |
Aphelion | Semimajor-axis | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
1950 | 2710 AU | n.a. | [a] |
2012 | 1914 AU | n.a. | [b] |
2015 | 2563 AU | n.a. | [c] |
2016 | 3235 AU | n.a. | [d] |
2050 | 2049 AU | 1026 AU | [a] |
2005 VX3 has a barycentric semi-major axis of ~1026 AU. [7] [a] 2014 FE72 and 2012 DR30 have a larger barycentric semi-major axis. The epoch of January 2016 was when 2005 VX3 had its largest heliocentric semi-major axis.
The object has a short observation arc of 81 days and does not have a well constrained orbit. [3] It has not been observed since January 2006, when it came to perihelion, 4.1 AU from the Sun. [3] It may be a dormant comet that has not been seen outgassing. In the past it may have made closer approaches to the Sun that could have removed most near-surface volatiles. The current orbit crosses the ecliptic just inside Jupiter's orbit and has a Jupiter- MOID of 0.8 AU. [3]
In 2017, it had an apparent magnitude of ~28 and was 24 AU from the Sun. It comes to opposition in mid-June. It would require one of the largest telescopes in the world for any more follow-up observations.