(528219) 2008 KV42

(528219) 2008 KV42 (provisional designation: 2008 KV42; nicknamed Drac)[3] is a trans-Neptunian object and the first one with a retrograde orbit to be discovered. This retrograde motion with an orbital inclination of 103° suggests that it is the missing link between its source in the Hills cloud and Halley-type comets, thus providing further insight into the evolution of the outer Solar System. The object measures approximately 77 kilometers (48 miles) in diameter. With a semi-major axis of 42 AU, it takes about 269 years to complete an orbit around the Sun.

(528219) 2008 KV42
The orbit of 2008 KV42 is nearly perpendicular to the ecliptic
Discovery[1][2]
Discovered by
Discovery siteMauna Kea Obs.
Discovery date31 May 2008
Designations
(528219) 2008 KV42
2008 KV42 · Drac[3]
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 1 July 2021 (JD 2459396.5)
Uncertainty parameter 3[4] · 1[1]
Observation arc12.20 yr (4,456 d)
Aphelion62.917 AU
Perihelion21.152 AU
42.035 AU
Eccentricity0.4968
272.53 yr (99,543 d)
341.23°
0° 0m 12.96s / day
Inclination103.41°
260.91°
132.61°
Uranus MOID4.26 AU[1]
TJupiter-1.0210
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
77 km (est. at 0.09)[6]
22.89[8]
8.8[1][4]

    Officially discovered on 31 May 2008, the discovery was announced on 16 July 2008, by the Canada–France Ecliptic Plane Survey team led by Brett Gladman. The discovery team nicknamed 2008 KV42 "Drac" after Count Dracula.

    Discovery and naming

    The discovery of 2008 KV42 was announced on 16 July 2008 by the Canada–France Ecliptic Plane Survey team led by Brett Gladman from the University of British Columbia.[9] The announcement was made during the "Asteroids, Comets, Meteors" meeting held in Baltimore, Maryland, followed by a Minor Planet Electronic Circular on the same day and an IAU Circular on 18 July. The discovery was made using images obtained on 31 May from the 3.5-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, followed by further observations until 8 July from the Whipple Observatory and Cerro Tololo.[2][10]

    The discovery team nicknamed 2008 KV42 Drac because of its high inclination in reference to its orbital plane resembling Count Dracula's ability to walk on walls.[11]

    Orbit
    Orbits of 2008 KV42 and 2011 KT19

    2008 KV42 is the first trans-Neptunian object (TNO) with a retrograde orbit to be discovered. With a semi-major axis of 41.7 AU,[4] it was discovered while at a distance of 32 AU and has a perihelion at roughly the distance of Uranus.

    The object's 103° inclination makes its almost perpendicular to the ecliptic, and is, as of July 2017, one of only six objects known to have inclination and perihelion larger than 60° and 15 AU, respectively. The other six are: 2002 XU93, 2007 BP102, 2010 WG9, 2011 KT19, and 2014 LM28.[12][13]

    Its unusual orbit suggests that 2008 KV42 may have been perturbed inwards from its source, most likely in the Hills cloud, by an unknown gravitational disturbance. Its discovery may reveal the source regions for Halley-type comets which also have an retrograde orbit, but their origin remains unknown. 2008 KV42 itself is believed to be in an intermediate stage towards becoming a comet, thus helping to further explain the formation and evolution of the outer Solar System.[14][15][3]

    Planet Nine

    2008 KV42 may even provide evidence of Planet Nine.[16] The Kozai effect inside the mean-motion resonances with Planet Nine may cause a periodic exchange between its inclination and its eccentricity. When the elongated perpendicular centaurs get too close to a giant planet, orbits such as that of 2008 KV42 are created.[17]

    See also

    References
    1. "528219 (2008 KV42)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    2. "MPEC 2008-O02 : 2008 KV42". Minor Planet Center. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    3. Gladman, B.; Kavelaars, J.; Petit, J. -M.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Parker, J.; Coffey, J.; et al. (June 2009). "Discovery of the First Retrograde Transneptunian Object". The Astrophysical Journal. 697 (2): L91–L94. Bibcode:2009ApJ...697L..91G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/697/2/L91. ISSN 0004-637X.
    4. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 528219 (2008 KV42)" (2020-08-12 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    5. "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 516977". Southwest Research Institute. Retrieved 31 July 2021.The Deep Ecliptic Survey Object Classifications
    6. Johnston, Wm. Robert (18 August 2020). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
    7. Akimasa Nakamura and bas (2 May 2009). "List of Damocloids (Oort cloud asteroids)". Lowell Observatory. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
    8. "Asteroid (528219) 2008 KV42 –". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    9. Hecht, Jeff (5 September 2008). "Distant object found orbiting Sun backwards". newscientist.com. New Scientist. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    10. "Circular No. 8960". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 18 July 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    11. O'Neill, Ian (5 September 2008). "Kuiper Belt Object Travelling the Wrong-Way in a One-Way Solar System". universetoday.com. Universe Today. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    12. "MPC list of q>15 and i>60 (HiHq objects)". IAU Minor Planet Center. (a 7th object appears to be removed, 2010 TH192)
    13. "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: i > 60 (deg) and q > 15 (AU)". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
    14. "Discovery of the retrograde trans-neptunian object 2008 KV42". cfeps.net. Canada France Ecliptic Plane Survey. 2008. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014.
    15. "Announcements – International Team of Astronomers Finds Missing Link". nrc.cnrc.gc.ca. National Research Council. 4 September 2008. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
    16. Batygin, Konstantin; Brown, Michael E. (February 2016). "Evidence for a Distant Giant Planet in the Solar System". The Astronomical Journal. 151 (2): 22. arXiv:1601.05438. Bibcode:2016AJ....151...22B. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/151/2/22. ISSN 0004-6256. S2CID 2701020. (called drac in reference)
    17. Brown, Mike (12 February 2016). "Why I believe in Planet Nine". www.findplanetnine.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016.
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