2014 UZ224
Scattered disc object
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2014 UZ224 is a large trans-Neptunian object and possible dwarf planet orbiting in the scattered disc of the outermost regions of the Solar System, estimated to be around 550 to 700 km (350 to 450 miles) in diameter. As of 2021[update], it is approximately 89.7 AU (13.42 billion km) from the Sun, and will slowly decrease in distance until it reaches its perihelion of 38 AU in 2142. The discoverers have nicknamed it "DeeDee" for "Distant Dwarf".[4][5]
2014 UZ224 imaged by ALMA | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | David Gerdes et al. |
| Discovery site | Cerro Tololo Obs. |
| Discovery date | 21 October 2014 |
| Designations | |
| "DeeDee" (nickname) | |
| TNO[2] · SDO[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 05 May 2025 (JD 2460800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 15.98 yr (5,836 days) |
| Earliest precovery date | 15 October 2006 |
| Aphelion | 181.17±0.23 AU |
| Perihelion | 38.695±0.011 AU |
| 109.93±0.14 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.648 |
| 1152.6±2.2 yr (421000±820 days) | |
| 323.47±0.09° | |
| 0° 0m 3.096s / day | |
| Inclination | 26.7787° |
| 131.133±0.003° | |
| 23 April 2142 ±26 days | |
| 28.55±0.03° | |
| Known satellites | 0 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 635+57 −62 km[3] | |
| 0.131+0.038 −0.028[3] | |
| g–r = 0.77±0.11 r–i = 0.39±0.07 i-z = 0.22±0.16[3] | |
| 23.38±0.05[3] | |
2014 UZ224 was discovered by a team led by David Gerdes using data collected by the large camera Dark Energy Camera (DECam).[6][7] The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center on 11 October 2016.[8] Assuming its nominal diameter of 635 km (395 mi), it reflects just 13 percent of the sunlight that hits it.[3][2] The earliest known precovery observations of 2014 UZ224 were taken at the Mauna Kea Observatory on 15 October 2006.[1]
2014 UZ224 has not yet been imaged by high-resolution telescopes, so it has no known moons.[9] The Hubble Space Telescope is planned to image 2014 UZ224 in 2026, which should determine if it has any significantly sized moons.[9]
Orbit
2014 UZ224 orbits the Sun once every approximately 1,150 years[10] and at the current point in its orbit is the second farthest known object from the Sun with a stable orbit. Its perihelion is calculated to be a bit closer than Pluto's semi-major axis, and it is calculated to reach it in 2142.[2]
Numbering and naming
As of 2025, 2014 UZ224 has not been numbered by the Minor Planet Center, as the uncertainty of its orbit is still large. The discoverers will have sole right to propose a name for ten years from the date it is numbered.
