(300163) 2006 VW139
(300163) 2006 VW139 (provisional designation 2006 VW139, periodic comet designation 288P/2006 VW139) is a binary active asteroid and main-belt comet from the outer regions of the asteroid belt. The object was discovered by Spacewatch in 2006. Its binary nature was confirmed by the Hubble Space Telescope in September 2016. Both primary and its minor-planet moon are similar in mass and size, making it a true binary system. The components are estimated to measure 1.8 kilometers in diameter, orbiting each other at a wide separation of 104 kilometers every 135 days.
Time-lapse video of 2006 VW139 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Spacewatch |
| Discovery site | Kitt Peak National Obs. |
| Discovery date | 15 November 2006 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (300163) 2006 VW139 |
Alternative designations | 2006 VW139 · 288P P/2006 VW139 |
Minor planet category | main-belt · (outer) main-belt comet |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 16.31 yr (5,958 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.6619 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.4358 AU |
Semi-major axis | 3.0488 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.2011 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 5.32 yr (1,944 days) |
Mean anomaly | 55.529° |
Mean motion | 0° 11m 6.36s / day |
| Inclination | 3.2402° |
Longitude of ascending node | 83.187° |
| 281.00° | |
| Known satellites | 1 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 1.8±0.2 km (derived) 3.20 km (calculated) |
| Mass | (6.15±4.85)×1012 kg |
| 0.057 (assumed) | |
| C (assumed) | |
| 16.2 · 16.20±0.24 | |
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