Draft:2001 KA77
Large trans-Neptunian object
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2001 KA77 is a large Trans-Neptunian object (TNO) in the Kuiper belt in the outermost regions of the Solar System.[1][2] The minor planet is predicted to be a highly likely candidate for a dwarf planet, with an estimated diameter of roughly 600 km.[3] It is classified as a hot classical Kuiper belt object, also known as a cubewano.[2] The minor planet orbits the Sun in nearly 300 years, and has a semi-major axis ranging between 43 and 52 AU.[1][2] The minor planet was discovered in mid 2001, and it was last observed in mid 2016.[4]
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Comment: very cool. it would be great to see some papers commenting on 2001 KA7 in detail. Astropedian (talk) 12:46, 5 March 2026 (UTC)- Comment: I am against creating this. The article doesn't meet the standard set by the WP:DWMP notability guideline. In particular, it is missing any relevant sources (compare the examples on the guideline page here), and it would likely not survive a deletion discussion. We've had this a few times recently with similar articles created through WP:AFC, only to be deleted/redirected within days of being created, like Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/472235 Zhulong. Renerpho (talk) 17:29, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
.jpg) Artist's impression of a dwarf planet similar to 2001 KA77 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Marc Buie & Larry Wasserman |
| Discovery site | Cerro Tololo Observatory (CTIO) |
| Discovery date | 2001-05-24 |
| Designations | |
| 01KA77 | |
| hot cubewano, & TNO | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 2024-10-17 (JD 2460600.5) | |
| Aphelion | 51.7390 AU |
| Perihelion | 42.7566 AU |
| 47.2480 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0951 |
| 325 yr | |
| Inclination | 11.9501° |
| 239.2650° | |
| 2098-02-10 | |
| 126.4788° | |
| Known satellites | 0 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 634 km | |
| 0.025 | |
| 5.29 | |
Discovery
On May 24, 2001, using the Victor M. Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in northern Chile the astronomers, Marc Buie, and Larry Wasserman, discovered 2001 KA77.[1][5] However, the discovery of the minor planet wasn't publicly released by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) until July 1, 2001, along with four other minor planets, 2001 FT185, 2001 KW76, 28978 Ixion, and 2001 KY76.[5]
Orbit
2001 KA77 revolves around the Sun on a slightly elliptical orbit.[2][4] The minor planet's orbit ranges between 42.8 and 51.7 astronomical units, and its average semi-major axis is 47.2 astronomical units.[2][4] It will reach its perihelion of 42.8 AU on February 10, 2098.[2] The minor planet orbits the Sun once every 325 years, or 118,625 days.[2][4] Its orbit has an orbital eccentricity of 0.095 and has a orbital inclination of 11.95 degrees.[2][4] The minor planet has a similar orbit to the trans-Neptunian objects, 2003 UB292, 2014 RS86, and 2017 FQ161.[1]
Diameter & Mass
2001 KA77 has a diameter of 634 kilometers, and it is believed to be one of the largest trans-Neptunian objects discovered.[3] Because of the minor planet's size of roughly 600 kilometers, it is a highly likely candidate to be a dwarf planet. The minor planet has a albedo of 0.025, therefore the object is probably dark in color.[3] The mass of this object is currently unknown.[1][2]
Numbering, Naming, & Moons
As of 2026, this minor planet has not been numbered or named by the Minor Planet Center.[2] So far, astronomers have not discovered any moons around this object.[2]
See also
- 2014 UZ224, similar-sized unnamed trans-Neptunian object.
- 28978 Ixion, similar-sized trans-Neptunian object also discovered in 2001.
- List of possible dwarf planets, further reading about potential dwarf planets.