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(613490) 2006 RJ103 facts for kids
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Sloan Digital Sky Srvy. |
| Discovery site | Apache Point Obs. |
| Discovery date | 12 September 2006 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 2006 RJ103 |
|
|
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 3 | |
| Observation arc | 14.15 yr (5,169 days) |
| Aphelion | 30.862 AU |
| Perihelion | 28.988 AU |
| 29.925 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0313 |
| 163.70 yr (59,793 days) | |
| 251.55° | |
|
Mean motion
|
0° 0m 21.6s / day |
| Inclination | 8.1641° |
| 120.86° | |
| 33.563° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions |
|
| 22.0 | |
| 7.5 | |
(613490) 2006 RJ103 is a special space rock called a Neptune trojan. It was first seen by scientists from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey team. They spotted it at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico on September 12, 2006. This space rock was the fifth and biggest Neptune trojan found at that time. It is about 180 kilometers wide. In 2016, it was about 30.3 AU away from the planet Neptune.
Contents
What are Neptune Trojans?
Neptune trojans are space objects that share Neptune's orbit around the Sun. They are in a special "dance" with Neptune called a 1:1 orbital resonance. This means they take almost the same amount of time to orbit the Sun as Neptune does. Neptune takes about 164.8 years to go around the Sun.
Where Does 2006 RJ103 Orbit?
(613490) 2006 RJ103 belongs to the leading group of Neptune trojans. These objects travel about 60° ahead of Neptune in its orbit.
It orbits the Sun at an average distance of 29.925 AU. Its path takes it between 29.0 and 30.9 AU from the Sun. One full trip around the Sun takes about 163 years and 8 months. This is about 59,793 days.
Its orbit is almost a perfect circle, with an eccentricity of 0.03. The orbit is also tilted by about 8° compared to the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the flat plane where most planets orbit the Sun.
How Big is This Space Rock?
Scientists who found (613490) 2006 RJ103 think it is about 180 kilometers wide. They figured this out based on how bright it appears, which is called its magnitude. Its magnitude is 22.0.
Another way to guess its size is by using its absolute magnitude, which is 7.5. If we assume its surface reflects about 10% of the sunlight, then it would be around 130 kilometers wide.
Naming This Minor Planet
This space object has not yet been given a number or a proper name. This is because its orbit is still a bit uncertain. Once its orbit is known more precisely, it can get a number. After that, its official discoverers can suggest a name.
If it gets a name, it will likely follow a special rule. Neptune trojans are named after characters linked to the Amazons. The Amazons were a group of female warriors from ancient Greek stories. They fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Trojans. One example of a named Neptune trojan is 385571 Otrera.
See also
- In Spanish: 2006 RJ103 para niños