(674118) 2015 KH162

Trans-Neptunian object 2015 KG 163 September 2021 yes (674118) 2015 KH 162 possible dwarf planet 2015 KH162 Hubble.png 2015 KH 162 photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope on 2 June 2026 S. SheppardD. TholenC. Trujillo Mauna Kea Obs. 18 May 2015 (674118) 2015 KH 162 TNOSDO near-scattered (DES) 1 July 2021 (JD 2459396.5) 2 11.36 yr (4,149 d) 82.117 AU 41.513 AU 61.815 AU 0.3284 486.02 yr (177,517 d) 67.564° 0.0020 ms / day 28.903° 201.01° 295.63° 0 566 km (est.) 0.124? 22.24 4.12 (674118) 2015 KH 162 is a large trans-Neptunian object orbiting in the scattered disc region of the outermost Solar System. First observed in 2015, this minor planet is one of the most distant objects from the Sun at 60.6 AU, or twice as far as Neptune. The Hubble Space Telescope photographed 2015 KH 162 on 2 June 2026, during a search for moons around large trans-Neptunian objects. Discovery 2015 KH 162 was first observed on 18 May 2015, in the constellation of Serpens by astronomers at the Mauna Kea Observatories using the Subaru Telescope. The discovery was announced by Scott Sheppard, David Tholen and Chad Trujillo on 23 February 2016. At the time, this minor planet was at a distance of 59.0 AU from the Sun and had a relatively bright magnitude of 21.4 for its enormous distance. Orbit and classification 2015 KH 162 orbits the Sun at a distance of 41.5–82.1 AU once every 486 years (177,517 days; semi-major axis of 61.82 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.33 and an inclination of 29° with respect to the ecliptic. It is classified as a scattered disc object, or "near-scattered" object in the classification of the Deep Ecliptic Survey, that still gravitationally interacts with Neptune (30.1 AU) due to its relatively low perihelion of 41.5 AU, contrary to the extended-scattered/detached objects and sednoids, the latter of which stay well beyond the Kuiper cliff at 47.8 AU. thumb|center|Diagram of 2015 KH 162's orbit Most distant objects from the Sun 2015 KH 162 last came to perihelion around 1930, moving away from the Sun ever since and is currently at about 61.9 AU, twice as far from the Sun than Neptune. Its current distance makes it one of the most distant known minor planets in the Solar System (also see List of Solar System objects most distant from the Sun Known distant objects). In 2415, the object will reach its aphelion at 82.1 AU. Physical characteristics Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, 2015 KH 162 measures approximately 566 km mi off 2 us in diameter, for an assumed albedo of 0.124 and a magnitude of 4.1. 2021, no rotational lightcurve for this object has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period and pole as well as its albedo and surface composition remain unknown. References 2021-07-07 last obs. JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 KH162) https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=3744791 Jet Propulsion Laboratory 9 September 2021 2015 KH162 Minor Planet Center https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2015+KH162 9 September 2021 MPEC 2016-D40 : 2015 KH162 Minor Planet Electronic Circular Minor Planet Center 23 February 2016 https://minorplanetcenter.net//mpec/K16/K16D40.html 8 September 2021 Asteroid 2014 SV349 – Ephemerides AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site https://newton.spacedys.com/astdys/index.php?pc=1.1.3.0&n=2015+KH162 19 September 2026 Observational Query: objects more than 57.0 AU from the Sun AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site, Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy https://newton.spacedys.com/astdys/index.php?pc=3.2.1&pc0=3.2&sb=8&ldfs=57.0 8 September 2021 List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects Johnston's Archive 18 August 2020 https://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/tnoslist.html 8 September 2021 Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 15KH162 Southwest Research Institute https://www.boulder.swri.edu/~buie/kbo/astrom/15KH162.html 8 September 2021 (The Deep Ecliptic Survey Object Classifications) Asteroid Size Estimator CNEOS NASA/JPL https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/ast_size_est.html 8 September 2021 http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi?find_body=1&body_group=sb&sstr=2015KH162 Horizon Online Ephemeris System California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory 8 September 2021 A Search For The Moons of Mid-Sized TNOs https://www.stsci.edu/hst-program-info/download/hst/pdf/18010/ Benjamin Proudfoot Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes Space Telescope Science Institute August 2025 HST Proposal 18010 Cycle 33 2025-08-17 External links List Of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects, Minor Planet Center 2015KH162 20674118 674118 (674118) 2015 KH 162 Category:Scattered disc and detached objects Category:Discoveries by Scott S. Sheppard Category:Discoveries by David J. Tholen Category:Discoveries by Chad Trujillo 20150518 Category:Possible dwarf planets