472235 Zhulong
| File:(472235) Zhulong Orbit Diagram.jpg Orbit of (472235) Zhulong, compared to the orbits of the planets | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | David Rabinowitz |
| Discovery site | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery date | 9 April 2011 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | (472235) Zhulong |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒuːlɒŋ/ |
Named after | Zhulong |
| 2011 GY61, 2014 GE45 | |
| TNO · Kuiper Belt object · 2:5 res | |
| Orbital characteristics[2][3] | |
| Epoch 21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5) | |
| Observation arc | 25.20 yr (9,204 d) |
| Earliest precovery date | 10 April 2000 |
| Aphelion | 77.590 AU |
| Perihelion | 32.737 |
| 55.163 | |
| Eccentricity | 0.4065 |
| 409.72 yr (149,649 d) | |
| 356.699° | |
| 0° 0m 8.66s / day | |
| Inclination | 0.807° |
| 318.737° | |
| ≈ 24 August 2029 | |
| 274.097° | |
| Known satellites | 0 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | |
| 0.126 (assumed)[4] | |
| 21.7[5] | |
| 6.5[1] | |
472235 Zhulong (provisional designation 2011 GY61 or 2014 GE45) is a resonant trans-Neptunian object in the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy planetesimals beyond Neptune. It was discovered by David Rabinowitz at the La Silla Observatory on 9 April 2011. Its diameter is estimated to be between 120 km (75 mi) and 295 km (183 mi) in diameter.
Its color, shape, and albedo are not known, and its exact diameter is unknown. Because it has no known moons, its mass can't be estimated.[4]
History
Discovery
Zhulong was discovered by David L. Rabinowitz at the La Silla Observatory in northern Chile in the Atacama Desert, which is home to other observatories like the Paranal Observatory and Very Large Telescope. After its initial discovery, it was lost until it was recovered by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope at the Haleakalā Observatory in Hawaii. Because it was discovered and then recovered, it received two different provisional designations.[1][3][4]
Zhulong was found in precovery images dating back to 10 April 2000, meaning it has been observed for 25 years, or more than 6% of its orbital period.[3][1]
Numbering and naming
It received its permanent minor planet catalog number of 472235 from the Minor Planet Center on 18 August 2016.[6](p521). Its official name, "Zhulong", was published on 27 August 2019 by the Minor Planet Center.[7](p939) It was named after a red colored dragon god in Chinese mythology, which had a human's face and a snake's body, controlled the day/night cycle by opening and closing its eyes, and created seasonal winds by breathing. According to the naming citation, the name was suggested by students at the National Dali School.[7](p939)
Orbit and classification
Zhulong is a trans-Neptunian object orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Neptune with an orbital period of about 410 years. Its semi-major axis is 55.2 AU from the Sun]] with an eccentricity of 0.4065. Because of its eccentric orbit, its perihelion is 32.7 AU, while its aphelion is 77.6 AU. It has an orbital inclination of 0.807° with respect to the ecliptic, meaning it has an inclination (with respect to the ecliptic) less than every planet besides Earth and Uranus. Zhulong will reach its perihelion on 24 August 2029.[2]
Because Zhulong has a semi-major axis of 55 AU and an orbital period of 410 years, it belongs to the 2:5 orbital resonance family of TNOs. It is unclear whether the closer 1:2 resonance is the outer edge of the Kuiper belt, or if the 2:5 resonance is the outer edge, with the space between being a large gap.[8]
Physical characteristics
Zhulong's diameter estimates range from 120.5 km (74.9 mi) to 295.1 km (183.4 mi). Because its albedo isn't fully known and no occultations by Zhulong have been observed, its exact diameter is unknown. The surface color of Zhulong is also unknown. Also, because no occultation by Zhulong has been observed, its shape is unknown, but it's believed to be too small to be considered a dwarf planet. Because it has no known moons, its mass cannot be measured.[4]
Another 2:5 resonant object and the largest in the group, (84522) 2002 TC302, has a surface that’s dark red in visible light,[9] and a surface composed of water ice, carbon dioxide ice, carbon monoxide ice, and various tholins.[10] Since Zhulong is a 2:5 resonant object like 2002 TC302, it is likely that Zhulong has a surface composition and color similar to it.
See also
- (84522) 2002 TC302, the largest trans-Neptunian object in the 2:5 resonance
- (26375) 1999 DE9, another trans-Neptunian object in the 2:5 resonance
- Resonant trans-Neptunian object
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "(472235) Zhulong = 2011 GY61 = 2014 GE45". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris for 472235 Zhulong (2014 GE45) at epoch JD 2460000.5". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 29 September 2025. Solution using the Solar System Barycenter. Ephemeris Type: Elements and Center: @0)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "JPL Small-Body Database Lookup: 472235 Zhulong (2014 GE45)" (2025-06-22 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "List of known trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs". Wm. Robert Johnston. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "RECON: TNO occultation with 472235". Marc W. Buie, Southwest Research Institute. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ "M.P.C. 101131" (PDF). Minor Planet Circulars. Minor Planet Center (101131): 521. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "M.P.C. 115895" (PDF). Minor Planet Circulars. Minor Planet Center (115895): 939. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ Chiang; Jordan, A. B.; Millis, R. L.; Buie, M. W.; Wasserman, L. H.; Elliot, J. L.; et al. (2003). "Resonance Occupation in the Kuiper Belt: Case Examples of the 5:2 and Trojan Resonances". The Astronomical Journal. 126 (1): 430–443. arXiv:astro-ph/0301458. Bibcode:2003AJ....126..430C. doi:10.1086/375207. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ John Stansberry; Will Grundy; Mike Brown; Dale Cruikshank; et al. (2007). Physical Properties of Kuiper Belt and Centaur Objects: Constraints from Spitzer Space Telescope. arXiv:astro-ph/0702538. Bibcode:2008ssbn.book..161S. Search this book on
- ↑ Brown, Michael E.; Fraser, Wesley C. (July 2023). "The State of CO and CO2 Ices in the Kuiper Belt as Seen by JWST". The Planetary Science Journal. 4 (7): 130. arXiv:2306.17051. Bibcode:2023PSJ.....4..130B. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ace2ba. 130. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help)
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