2005 RH52
Trans-Neptunian object
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2005 RH52 is an extreme trans-Neptunian object from the extended scattered disc in the outermost region of the Solar System, approximately 130 kilometers (81 miles) in diameter. It was first observed on 3 September 2005, by astronomers with the Canada–France Ecliptic Plane Survey using the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawaii, United States.[1][2][3]
| Discovery[1][2][3] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | (first observed only) CFEPS |
| Discovery site | Mauna Kea Obs. |
| Discovery date | 3 September 2005 |
| Designations | |
| 2005 RH52 | |
| TNO[4] · ESDO[5] ETNO · distant[1] | |
| Orbital characteristics[4] | |
| Epoch 21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 3 | |
| Observation arc | 15.93 yr (5,818 d) |
| Aphelion | 271.65 AU |
| Perihelion | 39.064 AU |
| 155.36 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.7486 |
| 1936 yr (707,298 d) | |
| 4.1429° | |
| 0° 0m 1.8s / day | |
| Inclination | 20.454° |
| 306.22° | |
| 32.765° | |
| Neptune MOID | 10.27 AU[1] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 128 km (est.)[5] 130 km (est.)[6] | |
| 0.08 (assumed)[6] 0.09 (assumed)[5] | |
| 7.43[1][4] | |
The detached, extended scattered disc object (ESDO) is on a highly eccentric orbit and belongs to the extreme trans-Neptunian objects.
Orbit and classification
2005 RH52 belongs to a small group of detached objects with perihelion distances of 30 AU or more, and semi-major axes of 150 AU or more.[7] Such extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs) can not reach such orbits without some perturbing object, which leads to the speculation of Planet Nine.
It orbits the Sun at a distance of 39–272 AU once every 1936 years and 6 months (707,298 days; semi-major axis of 155.36 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.75 and an inclination of 20° with respect to the ecliptic.[4] The body's observation arc begins with its first official observation at Mauna Kea in September 2005.[1]
Numbering and naming
As of 2025, this minor planet has neither been numbered nor named by the Minor Planet Center. The official discoverer(s) will be defined when the object is numbered.[1]
Physical characteristics
According to Johnston's Archive and to American astronomer Michael Brown, 2005 RH52 measures 128 and 130 kilometers in diameter based on an assumed albedo of 0.09 and 0.08, respectively.[5][6] Due to its small size, it is listed as "probably not" a dwarf planet (100–200 km) on Michael Brown's website, which uses a 5-class taxonomic system that ranges from "nearly certainly" to "possibly" for potential dwarf planet candidates.[6] As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.[4][8]
