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(556068) 2014 JR80

Trans-Neptunian object and plutino From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(556068) 2014 JR80 is a large binary trans-Neptunian object and plutino from the outermost regions of the Solar System. Measuring approximately 505 kilometers (314 miles) in diameter, it is considered a potential dwarf planet candidate. It was discovered on 6 May 2014 by the Pan-STARRS 1 survey at the Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, United States.

Discoverydate6 May 2014
Designation
(556068) 2014 JR80
Quick facts Discovery, Discovered by ...
(556068) 2014 JR80
2014 JR80 imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 13 June 2026.
Discovery
Discovered byPan-STARRS 1
Discovery siteHaleakala
Discovery date6 May 2014
Designations
Designation
(556068) 2014 JR80
Plutino
TNO
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 25 February 2023 (JD 2460000.5)
Aphelion42.965 AU
Perihelion35.534 AU
39.250 AU
Eccentricity0.095
245.9 yr
330.42°
Inclination15.34°
160.50°
129.48°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions~240–670 km
505 km (assumed)[2]
Albedo0.074 (assumed)[2]
4.9[1]
Close

2014 JR80 was photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope on 13 June 2026, during a search for moons around large trans-Neptunian objects.[3]

Orbit and classification

2014 JR80 is classified as a plutino, a dynamical group of trans-Neptunian objects named after Pluto. Like Pluto, plutinos stay in a 2:3 orbital resonance with Neptune, meaning they complete two orbits around the Sun for every three orbits Neptune makes.

It orbits the Sun at a distance of 35.5–43.0 AU once every 245 years and 11 months (about 90,000 days). It has an orbital eccentricity of 0.095 and an inclination of 15.34° with respect to the ecliptic. The object's observation arc begins with a precovery observation taken on 21 June 2010, nearly four years prior to its official discovery.

Physical characteristics

Based on an assumed standard albedo of 0.074 for plutinos, 2014 JR80 has an estimated diameter of 505 kilometers (314 miles). It possesses an absolute magnitude of 4.9. Due to its size, it is large enough to potentially be gravitationally rounded into a hydrostatic equilibrium shape, qualifying it as a candidate dwarf planet under several informal classification systems.

Satellite

The satellite of 2014 JR80 is dynamically classified as a component of a plutino binary system, sharing the overarching orbital path of its primary body. Like all plutinos, the system is locked in a 2:3 orbital resonance with Neptune, completing two orbits around the Sun for every three orbits Neptune makes. This satellite was discovered in 13 June 2026 by the Hubble Space Telescope.[3]

It shares the system's heliocentric path, orbiting the Sun at a distance of 35.5–43.0 AU once every 245 years and 11 months. Locally, the satellite orbits the primary body at a wide physical distance. It exhibits an angular separation of 0.86 ± 0.01 arcseconds, which translates to a projected separation of 24,700 ± 300 km. Because the satellite was resolved via direct imaging on 13 June 2026, the specific local orbit parameters—including its eccentricity, inclination relative to the primary's equator, and mutual orbital period—are undergoing determination as a longer mutual observation arc is secured.

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