(55638) 2002 VE95

Trans-Neptunian object (TNO) 524522 Zoozve (524522) 2002 VE 68, the provisional designation of the Aten asteroid and Venusian quasi-satellite 524522 Zoozve July 2021 yes (55638) 2002 VE 95 #C2E0FF AnimatedOrbitOf556382002VE95 NEAT Palomar Obs. 14 November 2002 12 October 1990 (55638) 2002 VE 95 TNOplutino 5 May 2025 (JD 2460800.5) 20 33.33 yr (12,175 d) 51.242 AU 28.023 AU 39.633 AU 0.2929 249.51 yr (91,134 d) 33.584° 0.0040 ms / day 16.324° 199.71° 29 June 2001 207.89° 249.8 13.5 13.1 km 6.76 h (ambiguous) 0.149 RR (very red) B–V 1.080 0.030 V–R 0.710 0.020 V–I 1.480 0.130 B–R 1.800 0.040 20.64 5.35.70 0.06 (55638) 2002 VE 95 is a trans-Neptunian object from the outermost region of the Solar System. It was discovered on 14 November 2002, by astronomers with the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking program at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States. This resonant trans-Neptunian object is a member of the plutino population, locked in a 2:3 resonance with Neptune. The object is likely of primordial origin with a heterogeneous surface and a notably reddish color (RR) attributed to the presence of methanol and tholins. It has a poorly defined rotation period of 6.8 hours and measures approximately 250 km mi off 2 us in diameter. Orbit and classification 2002 VE 95 belongs to the plutino population, named after its largest member, Pluto. Plutinos are resonant trans-Neptunian objects, that are locked in a stable 2:3 mean-motion resonance with Neptune, orbiting the Sun twice for every three orbits Neptune does. They form a significantly large part of the inner Kuiper belt, as hundreds of these objects have already been discovered. This minor planet orbits the Sun at a distance of 27.9–50.4 AU once every 245 years and 3 months (89,562 days; semi-major axis of 39.18 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.29 and an inclination of 16° with respect to the ecliptic. On 29 June 2001, it came to perihelion and has since been moving away from the Sun. Due to precovery images recovered from the Digitized Sky Survey, the body's observation arc begins already in October 1990, or 12 years prior to its official discovery observation by astronomers with the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking at Palomar. Numbering and naming 2002 VE 95 was numbered (55638) by the Minor Planet Center on 16 February 2003 (M.P.C. 47763). 2025, it has not been named. According to the established naming conventions for plutinos, it will be named after a mythological figure from the underworld. Physical characteristics Rotation period The rotation period of 2002 VE 95 is poorly defined and has ambiguous results with multiple alternative period solutions between 4.90 and 10 hours. In December 2002, a rotational lightcurve of this object was obtained from photometric observations by astronomers from the Sierra Nevada Observatory in Spain. Lightcurve analysis gave a poorly defined period of 6.76 0.01 hours with a brightness variation of 0.08 0.04 magnitude (U=1+). Two years later in December 2004, it was revisited by the same astronomers, obtaining another poorly defined period of 9.97 0.05 hours with an amplitude of 0.05 0.01 magnitude (U=1+). Other observations by Sheppard only determined an amplitude of less than 0.06 magnitude (U=1). Diameter and albedo In 2010, observations with the Herschel Space Telescope, using its PACS instrument to measure the object's thermal radiation, gave a mean diameter of 249.8 +13.5 -13.1 km with a relatively high albedo of 0.149 +0.019 -0.016 for an absolute magnitude of 5.70 0.06. In addition, an occultation on 3 December 2015, gave a best-fit ellipse dimension of (250.0 x 250.0 km) with an poor quality rating of 1. These timed observations are taken when the asteroid passes in front of a distant star. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a more regular albedo for a distant object of 0.10 and hence estimates a larger diameter of 297 kilometers. Color and composition In the visible light, 2002 VE 95 has a featureless reflectance spectrum. It is very red in color (RR), with a color index of 1.080 and 0.71, in the B–V and V−R passband filters, respectively. The near-infrared spectrum of 2002 VE 95 is flat with two distinct absorption bands of water ice at 1.5 and 2.0 μm. There is the third feature near 2.3 μm of unclear origin. The spectral behavior of this object is similar to 5145 Pholus, a centaur. Observations with the Very Large Telescope revealed that 2002 VE 95 has a heterogeneous surface—the amount of different ices and non-ice components depends on the observed area. Among the probable surface materials are water ice (4–19%), methanol ice (10–12%), and various tholins, photochemically altered organic compounds, also found on Triton and Titan. The redder areas are generally associated with the presence of methanol ice. The surface of 2002 VE 95 appears to be primordial in origin. References 30em 2024-02-11 last obs. JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 55638 (2002 VE95) https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=2055638 Jet Propulsion Laboratory 17 August 2025 30 July 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250730002241/https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=2055638 live 55638 (2002 VE95) Minor Planet Center https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=55638 26 July 2021 26 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200126022111/https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=55638 live 2008-07-17 MPEC 2008-O05 : Distant Minor Planets Minor Planet Center & Tamkin Foundation Computer Network https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K08/K08O05.html 2008-07-23 2 October 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181002121454/https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K08/K08O05.html live Naming of Astronomical Objects – Minor planets IAU – International Astronomical Union https://www.iau.org/public/themes/naming/#minorplanets 27 July 2021 31 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131031154417/https://www.iau.org/public/themes/naming/#minorplanets live MPC/MPO/MPS Archive Minor Planet Center https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html 26 July 2021 7 October 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101007190852/https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html live List of Known Trans-Neptunian Objects Johnston's Archive 18 August 2020 Johnston Wm. Robert http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/tnoslist.html 26 July 2021 18 February 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070218170146/http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/tnoslist.html live Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 55638 Southwest Research Institute https://www.boulder.swri.edu/~buie/kbo/astrom/55638.html 26 July 2021 26 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210726161508/https://www.boulder.swri.edu/~buie/kbo/astrom/55638.html live The Deep Ecliptic Survey Object Classifications https://web.archive.org/web/20110701023554/https://www.boulder.swri.edu/~buie/kbo/desclass.html 1 July 2011 55638 26 July 2021 26 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210726161509/http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=55638 live 6 Mommert M. Harris A. W. Kiss C. Pál A. Santos-Sanz P. Stansberry J. Delsanti A. Vilenius E. Müller T. G. Peixinho N. Lellouch E. Szalai N. Henry F. Duffard R. Fornasier S. Hartogh P. Mueller M. Ortiz J. L. Protopapa S. Rengel M. Thirouin A. May 2012 TNOs are cool: A survey of the trans-Neptunian region. V. Physical characterization of 18 Plutinos using Herschel-PACS observations Astronomy and Astrophysics 541 A93 2012A&A...541A..93M 0004-6361 10.1051/0004-6361/201118562 1202.3657 Thirouin A. Ortiz J. L. Duffard R. Santos-Sanz P. Aceituno F. J. Morales N. November 2010 Short-term variability of a sample of 29 trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs Astronomy and Astrophysics 522 A93 2010A&A...522A..93T 0004-6361 10.1051/0004-6361/200912340 1004.4841 54039561 Ortiz J. L. Gutiérrez P. J. Santos-Sanz P. Casanova V. Sota A. March 2006 Short-term rotational variability of eight KBOs from Sierra Nevada Observatory Astronomy and Astrophysics 447 3 1131–1144 2006A&A...447.1131O 0004-6361 10.1051/0004-6361:20053572 free 6 Perna D. Barucci M. A. Fornasier S. DeMeo F. E. Alvarez-Candal A. Merlin F. Dotto E. Doressoundiram A. de Bergh C. February 2010 Colors and taxonomy of Centaurs and trans-Neptunian objects Astronomy and Astrophysics 510 A53 2010A&A...510A..53P 0004-6361 10.1051/0004-6361/200913654 0912.2621 55619450 Tegler S. C. Romanishin W. Consolmagno G. J. J. S. December 2016 Two Color Populations of Kuiper Belt and Centaur Objects and the Smaller Orbital Inclinations of Red Centaur Objects The Astronomical Journal 152 6 210 2016AJ....152..210T 0004-6256 10.3847/0004-6256/152/6/210 125183388 free Asteroid (55638) 2002 VE95 – Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0 Small Bodies Data Ferret https://sbntools.psi.edu/ferret/SimpleSearch/results.action?targetName=55638 26 July 2021 26 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210726161509/https://sbntools.psi.edu/ferret/SimpleSearch/results.action?targetName=55638 dead Asteroid (55638) 2002 VE95 – Proper Elements AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site https://newton.spacedys.com/astdys/index.php?pc=1.1.0&n=55638 26 July 2021 19 September 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200919130246/https://newton.spacedys.com/astdys/index.php?pc=1.1.0&n=55638 live Sheppard Scott S. Jewitt David C. June 2003 Hawaii Kuiper Belt Variability Project: An Update Earth, Moon, and Planets 92 1 207–219 2003EM&P...92..207S 0167-9295 10.1023/B:MOON.0000031943.12968.46 189905992 The Solar System Beyond Neptune, Photometric Lightcurves of Transneptunian Objects and Centaurs: Rotations, Shapes, and Densities, University of Arizona Press, p.129–142 Fornasier S. Barucci M.A. De Bergh C. Alvarez-Candal A. Demeo F. Merlin F. Perna D. Guilbert A. Delsanti A. Dotto E. Doressoundiram A. Visible spectroscopy of the new ESO large programme on trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs: final results 2009 Astronomy and Astrophysics 508 1 457–465 10.1051/0004-6361/200912582 2009A&A...508..457F 0910.0450 8479334 Barucci M. A. Merlin F. Dotto E. Doressoundiram A. De Bergh C. TNO surface ices Observations of the TNO 55638 (2002 VE95) and analysis of the population's spectral properties 2006 Astronomy and Astrophysics 455 2 725–730 10.1051/0004-6361:20064951 2006A&A...455..725B free 6 Barucci M. A. Merlin F. Perna D. Alvarez-Candal A. Müller T. Mommert M. Kiss C. Fornasier S. Santos-Sanz P. Dotto E. March 2012 The extra red plutino (55638) 2002 VE 95 Astronomy and Astrophysics 539 A152 2012A&A...539A.152B 0004-6361 10.1051/0004-6361/201118505 free External links List of Transneptunian Objects, Minor Planet Center 55638 55637 Uni 55638 (55638) 2002 VE 95 055638 055638 20021114 055638