341520 Mors–Somnus

341520 Mors–Somnus
Discovery
Discovered by Scott S. Sheppard and C. Trujillo
Discovery date October 14, 2007
Designations
MPC designation 341520 Mors–Somnus
Plutino[1]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 2016-Jan-13.0 (JD 2457400.5)
Aphelion 49.400 AU
Perihelion 28.840 AU
39.120 AU
Eccentricity 0.263
244.68 a (89370.137 d)
357.860°
Inclination 11.300 °
196.743°
205.665°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions <60 km (each component)[1]
Mass 7.90 ± 0.21×1017 kg
Mean density
>0.5 g/cm3[1]
9.28 h[3]
Albedo >0.17[1]
Spectral type
V−R=0.74 ± 0.01,
B−R=2.03 ± 0.01[1]
6.94 ± 0.02[1]

    ' 341520 Mors–Somnus also known as 2007 TY430 is a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) that resides in the Kuiper belt and was discovered on October 14, 2007 by Scott S. Sheppard and C. Trujillo with Subaru telescope at Mauna Kea.[2] It is classified as a plutino, which means that it is in the 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune.[1]

    Naming

    341520 Mors–Somnus was named on June 2, 2015 after the mythological Roman god of the underworld and death.[4]

    Orbit and binarity

    341520 Mors–Somnus is a small double plutino occupying the 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune. The object is a wide optically resolved binary with the following orbital parameters

    Orbital parameters of the Mors–Somnus system[1]
    Semi-major axis, km Eccentricity Period, d Inclination, degree
    21000 ± 160 0.1529 ± 0.0028 961.2 ± 4.6 15.68 ± 0.22

    The components has almost equal size. The total mass of the system is 7.90 ± 0.21×1017 kg. For a realistic minimal density of 0.5 g/cm3 the albedo is >0.17 and the size of the components is <60 km.[1]

    Physical properties

    341520 Mors–Somnus has an ultra-red spectrum in the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum. The colors of two components are indistinguishable from each other.[1]

    341520 Mors–Somnus demonstrates a double-peaked light curve with the period of about 9.28 hours and amplitude of 0.24. This indicates that either primary of secondary has an elongated shape and rotates non-synchronosly.[3]

    Evolution

    341520 Mors–Somnus system is likely to be an escaped cold classical Kuiper Belt object.[1]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Scott S. Sheppard; Darin Ragozzine; Chadwick Trujillo (2012). "2007 TY430: A Cold Classical Kuiper Belt Type Binary in the Plutino Population". The Astronomical Journal 143: 58. Bibcode:2012AJ....143...58S. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/143/3/58.
    2. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2007_TY430" (2010-10-04 last obs.). Retrieved 2016-02-27.
    3. 1 2 A. Thirouin; K. S. Noll; J. L. Ortiz; N. Morales (2014). "Rotational properties of the binary and non-binary populations in the trans-Neptunian belt". Astronomy & Astrophysics 569: A3. Bibcode:2014DPS....4642109T. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201423567.
    4. Wm. Robert Johnston. "(341520) Mors–Somnus". Asteroids with Satellites Database—Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 2016-02-27.

    External links

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