(505478) 2013 UT15
Extreme trans-Neptunian object
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(505478) 2013 UT15 is an extreme trans-Neptunian object from the scattered disc, located in the outermost regions of the Solar System, approximately 260 kilometers (160 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 2 August 2013, by astronomers of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey at Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii, United States.[4]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | OSSOS |
| Discovery site | Mauna Kea Obs. |
| Discovery date | 2 August 2013 |
| Designations | |
| (505478) 2013 UT15 | |
| o3L83[2] | |
| TNO[1] · SDO[3] detached · distant[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 4.08 yr (1,489 days) |
| Aphelion | 347.97 AU |
| Perihelion | 43.853 AU |
| 195.91 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.7762 |
| 2742.19 yr (1,001,586 days) | |
| 353.50° | |
| 0° 0m 1.44s / day | |
| Inclination | 10.682° |
| 191.97° | |
| 252.40° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 243 km estimate)[3] 260 km (est. at 0.08)[5] 340 km estimate)[6] |
| 0.04 (estimate)[6] 0.09 (assumed)[3] | |
| BB (estimate)[6] | |
| 6.2951[1] · 6.4[6] | |
Orbit
With a semi-major axis of 196 AU, 2013 UT15 orbits the Sun at a distance of 43.9â348 AU once every 2,742 years. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.78 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] It has a similar orbit to (148209) 2000 CR105, except for a smaller inclination.
2013 UT15 belongs to a small number of detached objects with perihelion distances of 30 AU or more, and semi-major axes of 150 AU or more.[7] Such objects can not reach such orbits without some perturbing object, which leads to the speculation of Planet Nine.
Physical characteristics
Spectral type
Diameter
2013 UT15 has been estimated to measure 243 and 340 kilometers in diameter, based on an assumed albedo of 0.09 and 0.04, respectively.[3][6] A generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion gives a mean-diameter of 260 kilometers,[5] using with a typical albedo of 0.08 and a published absolute magnitude of 6.2951.[1]
Numbering and naming
2013 UT15 was numbered (505478) by the Minor Planet Center on 4 November 2017 (M.P.C. 107067).[8] As of 2025, this minor planet has not received a name.[4]