(55636) 2002 TX300

(55636) 2002 TX300 is a bright Kuiper belt object in the outer Solar System estimated to be about 286 kilometres (178 mi) in diameter. It is a large member of the Haumea family that was discovered on 15 October 2002 by the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program.

(55636) 2002 TX300
Hubble Space Telescope image of 2002 TX300 taken in 2005
Discovery
Discovered byNEAT (644)
Discovery sitePalomar Mountain
Discovery date15 October 2002
Designations
MPC designation
(55636) 2002 TX300
Minor planet category
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc22380 days (61.27 yr)
Aphelion48.365 AU (7.2353 Tm)
Perihelion37.8672 AU (5.66485 Tm)
Semi-major axis
43.116 AU (6.4501 Tm)
Eccentricity0.12174
Orbital period (sidereal)
283.12 yr (103408 d)
Mean anomaly
73.7618°
Mean motion
0° 0m 12.533s / day
Inclination25.87838°
Longitude of ascending node
324.6984°
338.958°
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
  • 143±5 km (occultation)
  • <320.6+125.2
    −103.4     km     (Spitzer two-band thermal model)
Mass~1.2×1019 kg (assumed)
Synodic rotation period
8.12 h (0.338 d)
Sidereal rotation period
0.504 d (12.101 h)
  • 0.88+0.15
    −0.06
  • > 0.173+0.203
    −0.083     (Spitzer)
Temperature< 41 K
  • (Neutral)
  • B–V = 0.66
  • V–R = 0.36
  • B0–V0 = 0.869
19.4
3.4

    2002 TX300 is a classical Kuiper belt object with an absolute magnitude between that of 50000 Quaoar and 20000 Varuna. 2002 TX300 has the most eccentric and inclined orbit of the three.

    A variability of the visual brightness was also detected which could fit to 7.9 h or 15.8 h rotational period (the distinction between single or double-peaked curved could not be made with confidence). The changes in brightness are quite close to the error margin and could also be due to an irregular shape.

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