(139775) 2001 QG298

Trans-Neptunian object April 2020 #C2E0FF yes (139775) 2001 QG 298 Marc William Buie 19 August 2001 (139775) 2001 QG 298 Plutino (MPC) 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) 39.200 AU 31.758 AU 46.642 AU 0.190 245.43 a (89,645.031 d) 6.500° 162.610° 309.327° 7.386° 122 km 0.6–0.7 g/cm3 13.7744 0.0004 h V−R 0.60 0.02 B−V 1.00 0.04 6.85 0.04 (assumed) (139775) 2001 QG 298 is a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) that resides in the Kuiper belt and was discovered on 19 August 2001 by Marc William Buie at Cerro Tololo Observatory. It is classified as a plutino, which means that it is in the 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune. Orbit and classification 2001 QG 298 orbits the Sun at a distance of 31.8–46.6 AU with a semi-major axis of 39.2 AU, finishing its orbit once every 245.4 years. 2001 QG 298 is a plutino with a relatively high eccentricity of approximately 0.19 and a large inclination of 6.5° with respect to the ecliptic. It is in the 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune, thus, 2001 QG 298 is classified as a plutino. Physical properties 2001 QG 298 is a small plutino occupying the 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune. Its size is estimated at 122 km assuming a comet-like albedo of about 4%. 2001 QG 298 has a double peaked light curve with a large amplitude, which has changed from 1.14 in 2003 to 0.7 in 2010. This large amplitude implies that it is actually a contact binary consisting of two elongated components of approximately equal size viewed from almost the equatorial perspective. The size of the components separated by the distance of approximately 300 km will be then about 95 km each. The density of 2001 QG 298 should be at least 0.6–0.7 g/cm3 for it to remain bound. See also 612620 2003 SQ 317 2004 TT 357 References MPEC G54: DISTANT MINOR PLANETS (2006 Apr. 25.0 TT) [27421-2007/05-R1] 2006-04-14 IAU Minor Planet Center http://www.brera.mi.astro.it/pipermail/mpec/2006-April/001970.html 2016-02-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115026/http://www.brera.mi.astro.it/pipermail/mpec/2006-April/001970.html# 2016-03-04 dead 2010-10-04 last obs. JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 139775 (2001 QG298) https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2001+QG298 2016-02-24 Extreme Kuiper Belt Object 2001 QG298 and the Fraction of Contact Binaries Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt 2004 The Astronomical Journal 2004AJ....127.3023S 10.1086/383558 4127 5 3023–3033 astro-ph/0402277 119486610 A Change in the Lightcurve of Kuiper Belt Contact Binary (139775) 2001 QG298 Pedro Lacerda 2011 The Astronomical Journal 1107.3507 10.1088/0004-6256/142/3/90 142 3 90 2011AJ....142...90L 118638439 External links 139775 139775 (139775) 2001 QG 298 Category:Plutinos 2001 QG298 Category:Contact binary (small Solar System body) 20010819