(15810) 1994 JR1
A distant view of 1994 JR1 from New Horizons in November 2015.[lower-alpha 1]
|
|
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. J. Irwin, A. Zytkow |
| Discovery date | May 12, 1994 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | (15810) 1994 JR1 |
| Plutino[1][2] | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch April 18, 2013 (JD 2456400.5) | |
| Aphelion | 43.6977721 AU |
| Perihelion | 34.7394915 AU |
| 39.2186318 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1142095 |
| 245.61 y (89709.1181843 d) | |
| 25.57449° | |
| Inclination | 3.80462 ° |
| 144.72980° | |
| 101.66735° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 127 km[4] |
| Albedo | 0.09 (assumed) |
| 7.7[3] | |
(15810) 1994 JR1, also written (15810) 1994 JR1, is a minor planet that moves around the Sun in an orbit entirely located beyond Neptune. It is the first object that was confirmed to be a quasi-satellite of Pluto.[5]
Contents
Discovery, orbit and physical properties
(15810) 1994 JR1 was discovered on May 12, 1994, by M. J. Irwin and A. Zytkow with the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in the island of La Palma.[3] It is a plutino, so it is trapped in a 2:3 mean motion resonance with Neptune, similarly to dwarf planet Pluto (the largest known plutino). It has a perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) of 34.753 AU and an aphelion (farthest distance from the Sun) of 43.722 AU, so it is moving in a relatively eccentric orbit entirely beyond Neptune. It is about 127 km in diameter.[4]
Quasi-satellite dynamical state and orbital evolution
(15810) 1994 JR1 is currently following a quasi-satellite loop around Pluto.[5] In contrast with the cases of 2002 VE68 or (309239) 2007 RW10, the quasi-satellite state of (15810) 1994 JR1 is mainly the result of resonances with Neptune not caused by a discrete close encounter with another body. This dynamical behavior is recurrent: the object becomes a Plutonian quasi-satellite every 2 Myr and remains in that phase for nearly 350,000 years.[5][6]
Origin
(15810) 1994 JR1 is moving in a very stable orbit, likely as stable as Pluto's. This suggests that it may be a primordial plutino formed around the same time Pluto itself and Charon came into existence. It is unlikely to be relatively recent debris originated in collisions within Pluto’s system or a captured object.[5]
New Horizons
(15810) 1994 JR1 is currently a relatively close neighbor of Pluto's. In 2017, it will be only 2.7 AU from Pluto.[7] Before 2014 MU69 was discovered in 2014, (15810) 1994 JR1 was the best known target for a flyby by the New Horizons spacecraft after its Pluto flyby in 2015.[8][9]
1994 JR1 was one of the first objects targeted for distant observations by New Horizons, which were taken on November 2, 2015.[10]
On 2 November 2015, 1994 JR1 was imaged by the LORRI instrument aboard New Horizons, making the closest observation of a Kuiper Belt object by a factor of 15 of anything outside the Pluto-Charon system.[11]
References
- Notes
- ↑ This four-frame animation depicting 1994 JR1 was taken on November 2, 2015 by New Horizons, when the spacecraft was 270 million kilometers (170 million miles) away. 1994 JR1 is the white dot, just left of center, moving from right to left.
- Citations
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External links
- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Ephemeris
- New Horizons’ Camera Captures a Wandering Kuiper Belt Object [1]
