1996 PW

1996 PW
Discovery[1]
Discovered by NEAT automated search camera from Haleakalā, Hawaii
Discovery date August 9, 1996
Designations
MPC designation 1996 PW
trans-Neptunian object[2]
Orbital characteristics[2][3]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc 506 days (1.39 yr)
Aphelion 511.78 AU (76.561 Tm)
Perihelion 2.54445 AU (380.644 Gm)
257.16 AU (38.471 Tm)
Eccentricity 0.99011
4123.97 yr (1506279 d)
1.69887°
Inclination 29.69447°
144.64353°
181.6821°
Earth MOID 1.53091 AU (229.021 Gm)
Jupiter MOID 2.33618 AU (349.488 Gm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 15 km (albedo 0.04, typical of extinct comets)[1]
8 km (albedo 0.15, typical of stony asteroids)[1]
35.44 h (1.477 d)[4][2]
V − R = 0.56 ± 0.04
V − I = 1.03 ± 0.06
V − J = 1.80 ± 0.05
V − H = 2.19 ± 0.05
V − K = 2.32 ± 0.05 [4]
D[4][5]
Ld (SMASSII)[2][6]
14.0[2]

    1996 PW is a small Solar System body on an orbit typical of long-period comets but that has shown no sign of cometary activity around the time it was discovered.[4] Simulations indicate that it has most likely come from the Oort cloud, with a roughly equal probability of being an extinct comet and a rocky body that was originally scattered into the Oort cloud.[1] The discovery of 1996 PW prompted theoretical research that suggests that roughly 1 to 2 percent of the Oort cloud objects are rocky.[1][5]

    1996 PW was discovered on 1996 August 9 by the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) automated search camera on Haleakalā, Hawaii.[1] It is the first object that is not an active comet discovered on an orbit typical of long-period comets.[1]

    1996 PW has a rotation period of 35.44 ± 0.02 h and a double-peaked lightcurve with an amplitude of 0.44 ± 0.03 mag.[4] Its spectrum is moderately red and featureless,[7] typical of D-type asteroids and bare comet nuclei.[4][5][7] Its spectrum suggests an extinct comet.[7] The upper limit on 1996 PW's dust production is 0.03 kg/s.[4]

    See also

    Have very large aphelion

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Weissman, P. R. & Levison, H. F. (1997). Origin and evolution of the unusual object 1996 PW: Asteroids from the Oort cloud?. The Astrophysical Journal, 488, L133–L136
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (1996 PW)" (1997-12-28 last obs.). 13 June 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
    3. ↑ AstDys-2 Retrieved 2014-10-28
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Davies, J. K., McBride, N., Green, S. F., Mottola, S., Carsenty, U., Basran, D., Hudson, K. A., & Foster, M. J. (1998). The lightcurve and colors of unusual minor planet 1996 PW. Icarus, 132, 418–430
    5. 1 2 3 Toth, I. (2005). Connections between asteroids and cometary nuclei. Asteroids, Comets, Meteors Proceedings IAU Symposium, 229, 67–96.
    6. ↑ Bus, S. J. & Binzel, R. P. (2002). Phase II of the small main-belt asteroid spectroscopic survey – A feature-based taxonomy. Icarus, 158, 146–177.
    7. 1 2 3 Hicks, M. D., Buratti, B. J., Newburn Jr., R. L., & Rabinowitz, D. L. (2000). Physical observations of 1996 PW and 1997 SE5: Extinct comets or D-type asteroids?. Icarus, 143(2), 354–359.

    External links

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