2014 OS393

2014 OS393
Discovery[1]
Discovered by Hubble Space Telescope
Discovery date July 30, 2014
Designations
MPC designation 2014 OS393
MPO 335305,[1] E31007AI,[2] e3,[3] PT2[3]
TransNeptunian Object (TNO)
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 10 September 2014 (JD 2456910.5)
Uncertainty parameter 9
Observation arc 86 days
Aphelion 44.744 AU (6.6936 Tm)
Perihelion 43.141 AU (6.4538 Tm)
43.943 AU (6.5738 Tm)
Eccentricity 0.018242
291.30 yr (106397 d)
4.49±0.03 km/s
33.943°
0° 0m 12.181s / day
Inclination 3.8102°
138.27°
107.31°
Earth MOID 42.1311 AU (6.30272 Tm)
Jupiter MOID 37.762 AU (5.6491 Tm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 35–55 km (22–34 mi)[2]
30–55 km (19–34 mi)[5]
0.04–0.10[2]
0.04–0.15[5]
26.3[2]
10.111 ± 0.22784[4]

    2014 OS393 (formerly labeled e31007AI in the context of the Hubble Space Telescope, and e3 and PT2 in the context of the New Horizons mission) is a Kuiper belt object (KBO) and formerly a potential flyby target for the New Horizons probe.[3]

    Discovery and naming

    2014 OS393 was discovered with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)[6] because the object has a magnitude of 26.3, which is too faint to be observed by ground-based telescopes. Preliminary observations by the HST searching for KBO flyby targets for the New Horizons probe started in June 2014, and more intensive observations continued in July and August.[7][8] 2014 OS393 was first discovered in observations on July 30, 2014, but it was designated e31007AI at the time, nicknamed e3 for short.[3][5] Its existence as a potential target of the New Horizons probe was revealed by NASA in October 2014[9][10] and designated PT2, but the official name 2014 OS393 was not assigned by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) until March 2015 after better orbit information was available.[3]

    Potential targets of the New Horizons mission

    After the New Horizons probe completed its flyby of Pluto, the probe is to be manoeuvred to a flyby of at least one Kuiper belt object (KBO). Several potential targets were under consideration for the first such flyby. Potential target PT2, the KBO 2014 OS393, has a diameter between 30–55 km (19–34 mi) and the potential encounter in 2018–2019 would have been at a distance of 43–44 AU from the Sun.[2] The potential targets for the New Horizons probe are PT1 and PT3, the KBOs 2014 MU69 and 2014 PN70, and the probe has sufficient fuel to maneuver to either PT1 or PT3. Potential target PT2 is no longer under consideration as a potential target,[11] and 2014 MT69 was eliminated as a target before the fall of 2014.[3]

    On 28 August 2015, the New Horizons team announced the selection of 2014 MU69 as the next flyby target.[12]

    References

    1. 1 2 "2014 OS393". Minor Planet Center. 2014-10-24.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lakdawalla, Emily (October 15, 2014). "Finally! New Horizons has a second target". Planetary Society blog. Planetary Society. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zangari, Amanda (March 28, 2015). "Postcards from Pluto". Tumblr.
    4. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2014 OS393)" (2014-10-24 last obs; arc: 86 days). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
    5. 1 2 3 Buie, Marc (October 15, 2014). "New Horizons HST KBO Search Results: Status Report" (PDF). Space Telescope Science Institute. p. 23.
    6. ↑ J. R. Spencer; M. W. Buie; et al. (2015). "The Successful Search for a Post-Pluto KBO Flyby Target for New Horizons Using the Hubble Space Telescope" (PDF). European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) Abstract (Copernicus Office).
    7. ↑ "Hubble to Proceed with Full Search for New Horizons Targets". HubbleSite news release. Space Telescope Science Institute. July 1, 2014.
    8. ↑ Schmidt, Klaus (2 July 2014). "Hubble to Proceed with Full Search for New Horizons Targets". International Space Fellowship.
    9. ↑ "NASA's Hubble Telescope Finds Potential Kuiper Belt Targets for New Horizons Pluto Mission". HubbleSite. 15 October 2014.
    10. ↑ Wall, Mike (October 15, 2014). "Hubble Telescope Spots Post-Pluto Targets for New Horizons Probe". Space.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.
    11. ↑ Powell, Corey S. (March 29, 2015). "Alan Stern on Pluto’s Wonders, New Horizons’ Lost Twin, and That Whole "Dwarf Planet" Thing". Discover.
    12. ↑ Cofield, Calla (28 August 2015). "Beyond Pluto: 2nd Target Chosen for New Horizons Probe". Space.com.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, April 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.