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(612243) 2001 QR322 facts for kids
 |
|
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. W. Buie (DES) |
| Discovery site | Cerro Tololo Obs. |
| Discovery date | 21 August 2001 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | (612243) 2001 QR322 |
| 2001 QR322 | |
| Neptune trojan · L4 TNO · distant |
|
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 3 | |
| Observation arc | 12.26 yr (4,479 days) |
| Aphelion | 30.968 AU |
| Perihelion | 29.262 AU |
| 30.115 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0283 |
| 165.27 yr (60,363 days) | |
| 86.551° | |
|
Mean motion
|
0° 0m 21.6s / day |
| Inclination | 1.3250° |
| 151.75° | |
| 151.11° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
|
Mean diameter
|
132 km |
| 0.058 | |
| 22.5 | |
| 8.12 | |
(612243) 2001 QR322 is a small space rock, also known as a minor planet. It was the very first Neptune trojan ever found! An American astronomer named Marc Buie discovered it on August 21, 2001. He found it while working on the Deep Ecliptic Survey at the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile.
This space rock orbits the Sun in a special spot. It stays ahead of the planet Neptune at a point called the L4 Lagrangian point. Think of it as a stable parking spot in space. 2001 QR322 is about 132 kilometers (82 miles) wide. Since its discovery, many other Neptune trojans have been found. Scientists believe Neptune might have twenty times more of these trojans than Jupiter!
Contents
How 2001 QR322 Orbits the Sun
2001 QR322 travels around the Sun in a path that takes a very long time. It completes one full trip every 165 years and 3 months. That's 60,363 Earth days!
Its average distance from the Sun is about 30.115 AU. One AU is the distance from the Earth to the Sun. So, this space rock is about 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth is. Its path is slightly oval-shaped, not a perfect circle. This oval shape is called its eccentricity. It also has a slight tilt of about 1 degree compared to Earth's orbit around the Sun. This tilt is called its inclination.
Is Its Orbit Stable?
Scientists have studied how stable the orbit of 2001 QR322 is. Earlier studies thought its orbit was super stable, meaning it would stay in its special spot for billions of years.
However, newer studies suggest it might not be as stable as once thought. These studies used more detailed information about its orbit. They found that over time, this space rock could slowly drift out of its stable position. More observations are needed to know for sure if its orbit is truly stable or if it will eventually move away. The stability of its orbit mostly depends on its average distance from the Sun.
Naming This Space Rock
This minor planet was officially given its number, (612243), on March 28, 2022. If it gets a name in the future, it will follow a special rule. Neptune trojans are named after characters related to the Amazons. The Amazons were a group of female warriors who fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Trojans. This is similar to how Jupiter's trojans are named after heroes from the Trojan War.
What 2001 QR322 Looks Like
Scientists estimate that 2001 QR322 is about 132 kilometers (82 miles) across. It has a very dark surface, like charcoal. This darkness is measured by something called albedo, which is how much light an object reflects. Its albedo is very low, only 0.058. This means it reflects less than 6% of the sunlight that hits it.
Its absolute magnitude is 8.12, which tells us how bright it would look if it were a certain distance away. From Earth, it appears very dim, with a visual magnitude of 22.5. You would need a very powerful telescope to see it!
See also
In Spanish: 2001 QR322 para niños