20461 Dioretsa

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20461 Dioretsa
Discovery 
Perihelion
2.4021 AU
23.903 AU
Eccentricity0.8995
116.87 yr (42,686 d)
59.873°
0° 0m 30.24s / day
Inclination160.43°
297.77°
103.13°
Jupiter MOID0.1907 AU
TJupiter-1.5470
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
14±3 km[4][6]
0.03±0.01[4][6]
13.8[1][3]

20461 Dioretsa

Lincoln Laboratory Experimental Test Site near Socorro, New Mexico, United States.[1] The highly eccentric unusual object measures approximately 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) in diameter.[4][6] It was named Dioretsa, the word "asteroid" spelled backwards.[1]

Classification and orbit

Dioretsa is a member of the

semi-major axis in between that of Jupiter (5.5 AU) Neptune (30.1 AU).[3] The Minor Planet Center lists it as a critical object and (other) unusual minor planet due to an orbital eccentricity of more than 0.5.[5]

It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.4–45.4 AU once every 116 years and 10 months (42,686 days; semi-major axis of 23.9 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.90 and an inclination of 160° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] Its observation arc begins 12 months prior to its official discovery observation, with a precovery taken by Spacewatch at Steward Observatory in June 1998.[1] As of 2021, it was last observed in 2000 and its orbit still has an uncertainty of 2.[3]

Retrograde orbit

An inclination of greater than 90° means that a body moves in a

retrograde orbit. Dioretsa's orbit is otherwise similar to that of a comet. This has led to speculation that Dioretsa was originally an object from the Oort cloud.[citation needed
]

Naming

The minor planet's name "Dioretsa" is the word "

M.P.C. 48396).[7]

Physical characteristics

According to observations made with the 10-meter

rotation period and shape remain unknown.[3][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "20461 Dioretsa (1999 LD31)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-3-540-34360-8
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 20461 Dioretsa (1999 LD31)" (2000-12-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e Johnston, Wm. Robert (7 October 2018). "List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b "List Of Other Unusual Objects". Minor Planet Center. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  6. ^
    doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6687
    . Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  7. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  8. ^ "LCDB Data for (20461) Dioretsa". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 27 June 2017.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=20461_Dioretsa&oldid=1218342330"