(181708) 1993 FW

(181708) 1993 FW was the second trans-Neptunian object to be discovered after Pluto and Charon, the first having been 15760 Albion, formerly known as (15760) 1992 QB1. It was discovered in 1993 by David C. Jewitt and Jane X. Luu at the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii.[5] Following its discovery it was nicknamed "Karla" after a character by John le Carré by its discoverers[6] and was hailed as that of a new planet.[7] Mike Brown lists it as possibly a dwarf planet on his website.[4]

(181708) 1993 FW
Discovery
Discovered byDavid C. Jewitt,
Jane X. Luu
Discovery date28 March 1993
Designations
Trans-Neptunian object
(cubewano)[1]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)[2]
Uncertainty parameter 3
Observation arc5456 days (14.94 yr)
Aphelion46.293 AU (6.9253 Tm)
Perihelion41.642 AU (6.2296 Tm)
43.967 AU (6.5774 Tm)
Eccentricity0.052899
291.54 yr (106487 d)
4.489 km/s
351.305°
0° 0m 12.171s / day
Inclination7.7336°
187.837°
40.180°
Jupiter MOID36.2333 AU (5.42042 Tm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions175 km[3] 241 km[4]
7.0

    181708 was discovered half a year after Albion.[8]

    Over one thousand bodies were found in a belt orbiting between about 30-50 AU from the Sun in the twenty years (1992-2012), after finding 1992 QB1 (named in 2018, 15760 Albion), showing a vast belt of bodies more than just Pluto and Albion.[9][10] By 2018, over 2000 Kuiper belts objects were discovered.[10]

    The mid-1990s were a time when the new region "came to life", triggering a retrospective of various predictions about second asteroid or comet belts in the outer solar system.[8]

    Three more KBOs found in 1993 are (15788) 1993 SB,[11] (15789) 1993 SC, and (385185) 1993 RO.

    See also

    References
    1. Marc W. Buie. "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 181708". SwRI (Space Science Department). Retrieved 2018-02-18.
    2. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
    3. "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Wm. Robert Johnston. Archived from the original on 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
    4. "How many dwarf planets are there in the outer solar system?". Mike Brown. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
    5. B.S. Marsden; Jewitt, D.; Marsden, B. G. (1993). "1993 FW". IAU Circ. Minor Planet Center. 5730: 1. Bibcode:1993IAUC.5730....1L.
    6. "Space body given name of Le Carre character: Astronomers discover planetesimal Karla". The Independent. April 20, 1993. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01.
    7. Coote, Roger (August 2008). The earth. London: Alligator Books. ISBN 9781842399491. OCLC 671197414.
    8. Eicher, David J. (2013-09-23). COMETS!: Visitors from Deep Space. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-51350-1.
    9. "The Kuiper Belt at 20". Astrobiology Magazine. 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
    10. Dyches, Preston. "10 Things to Know About the Kuiper Belt". NASA Solar System Exploration. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
    11. "MPEC 2010-B62 :Distant Minor Planets (2010 FEB. 13.0 TT)". Minor Planet Center. 2010-01-30. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
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