(148975) 2001 XA255

(148975) 2001 XA₂₅₅

Discovery
Discovered by	David C. Jewitt, Scott S. Sheppard and Jan Kleyna
Discovery date	9 December 2001
Designations
MPC designation	(148975) 2001 XA255
Minor planet category	Centaur
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc	3812 days (10.44 yr)
Aphelion	48.731 AU (7.2901 Tm)
Perihelion	9.3364 AU (1.39671 Tm)
Semi-major axis	29.034 AU (4.3434 Tm)
Eccentricity	0.67843
Orbital period	156.44 yr (57141.1 d)
Mean anomaly	12.809°
Mean motion	0° 0^m 22.681^s / day
Inclination	12.628°
Longitude of ascending node	105.89°
Argument of perihelion	90.452°
Earth MOID	8.36221 AU (1.250969 Tm)
Jupiter MOID	4.12722 AU (617.423 Gm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	12.5 km
Absolute magnitude (H)	11.1

(148975) 2001 XA₂₅₅, also written as 2001 XA255, is a minor body classified as centaur by the Minor Planet Center.^[2] The object is currently trapped in a 1:1 mean-motion resonance with Neptune following a path of the horseshoe type.^[3]

Discovery

(148975) 2001 XA₂₅₅ was discovered on December 9, 2001 by David C. Jewitt, Scott S. Sheppard, and Jan Kleyna observing from the Mauna Kea Observatory.^[4]

Orbit

(148975) 2001 XA₂₅₅ follows a very eccentric orbit (0.68) with perihelion just inside the orbit of Saturn, aphelion in the trans-Neptunian belt and a semi-major axis of 28.9 AU. The orbital inclination of this object is moderate at 12.6º.^[1]

Physical properties

The object has an estimated diameter of 12.5 km and it was classified as an inactive centaur by David C. Jewitt.^[5] Its absolute magnitude is 11.2.^[1]

Resonance with Neptune

(148975) 2001 XA₂₅₅ was identified as trapped in a 1:1 mean-motion resonance with Neptune and 1:2 with Uranus by T. Gallardo in 2006.^[6] The object is dynamically unstable and it entered the region of the giant planets relatively recently, perhaps 50,000 years ago, from the scattered disk. It follows a short-lived horseshoe orbit around Neptune.^[3]

References

1. "148975 (2001 XA255)". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
2. MPC list of Centaurs
3. de la Fuente Marcos, C.; de la Fuente Marcos, R. (2012). "Four temporary Neptune co-orbitals: (148975) 2001 XA255, (310071) 2010 KR59, (316179) 2010 EN65, and 2012 GX17". Astronomy and Astrophysics 547: L2. arXiv:1210.3466. Bibcode:2012A&A...547L...2D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220377.
4. Jewitt, David C.; Sheppard, S. S.; Kleyna, J.; Marsden, B. G. "2001 XA255". Minor Planet Electronic Circular.
5. Jewitt, David C. (2009). "The Active Centaurs". The Astronomical Journal 137 (5): 4296–4312. arXiv:0902.4687. Bibcode:2009AJ....137.4296J. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/137/5/4296.
6. ADS link Gallardo, T. (2006) Atlas of the mean-motion resonances in the Solar System

External links

• 2001 XA255, Jewitt, D. C., Sheppard, S. S., Kleyna, J., & Marsden, B. G. 2002, Minor Planet Electronic Circular, 2002-A85.
• The Active Centaurs, Jewitt, D. C. 2009, Astronomical Journal, Volume 137, Number 5, pp. 4296–4312.
• (148975) 2001 XA₂₅₅ data at MPC
• Atlas of the mean motion resonances in the Solar System Gallardo, T. 2006, Icarus, Volume 184, Issue 1, pp. 29–38.
• Four temporary Neptune co-orbitals: (148975) 2001 XA255, (310071) 2010 KR59, (316179) 2010 EN65, and 2012 GX17 de la Fuente Marcos, C., & de la Fuente Marcos, R. 2012, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 547, id.L2, 7 pp.
• IAU list of centaurs and scattered-disk objects
• IAU list of trans-neptunian objects
• Another list of TNOs
• (148975) 2001 XA255 at the JPL Small-Body Database

• Discovery · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters