2001 XB255
2001 XB255, also written 2001 XB255, is a trans-Neptunian object (TNO), considered a scattered disk object.[1][2][3][4] It was discovered on 9 December 2001 by astronomers Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan T. Kleyna at the Mauna Kea Observatory on the big island of Hawaii, United States. The object is not a dwarf planet candidate as it only measures 150 km in diameter.
Orbit and classification
2001 XB255 orbits the Sun at a distance of 41.3–108.5 AU every 671.0 years (248,372 days, semi-major axis of 71.6 AU), Its orbit has an orbital eccentricity of 0.45 and an orbital inclination of 2°, with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with its discovery date at the Mauna Kea Observatories in 2001.
2001 XB255 belongs to the same dynamical group as several other objects (also see diagram). With an orbital period of 671 years, it is a resonant trans-Neptunian object in a 1:4 orbital resonance with Neptune, as are 2003 LA7 and 2011 UP411, among others, but with moderate eccentricities and perihelion of 40 AU as the latter.
Although it is thought that traditional scattered-disc objects have been ejected into their current orbits by gravitational interactions with Neptune, the low eccentricity of its orbit and the distance of its perihelion (SDOs generally have highly eccentric orbits and perihelia less than 38 AU) seems hard to reconcile with such celestial mechanics. This has led to some uncertainty as to the current theoretical understanding of the outer Solar System. The theories include close stellar passages, unseen planets/rogue planets/planetary embryos in the early Kuiper belt, and resonance interaction with an outward-migrating Neptune. The Kozai mechanism is capable of transferring orbital eccentricity to a higher inclination.
Physical characteristics
2001 XB255's diameter is estimated at 170 km, which is roughly fourth the size of (612911) 2004 XR190, which is estimated at 560 km, which is roughly fourth the size of Pluto. It is therefore not a dwarf planet candidate.
References
- ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2001 XB255)" (2024-10-17 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ↑ "2001 XB255". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ↑ Johnston, Wm. Robert (24 February 2024). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ↑ Brown, Michael E. "How many dwarf planets are there in the outer solar system?". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
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