(303775) 2005 QU182

(303775) 2005 QU182
(303775) 2005 QU182's orbit
Discovery[1]
Discovered by
Discovery sitePalomar Obs.
Discovery date30 August 2005
Designations
TNO[2][3]
SDO[2][3]
Orbital characteristics(barycentric)[4][a]
Epoch 09 June 2026 (JD 2461200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 1
Observation arc18,818 days (51.52 yr)[5]
Aphelion189.12 AU (28.292 Tm) (Q)
Perihelion36.817 AU (5.5077 Tm) (q)
112.97 AU (16.900 Tm) (a)
Eccentricity0.6741 (e)
1200.7 yr (438,600 d)
16.7° (M)
0° 0m 3.006s / day (n)
Inclination14.048° (i)
78.27° (Ω)
224.06° (ω)
Known satellites0
Earth MOID36.015 AU (5.3878 Tm)[5]
Jupiter MOID31.959 AU (4.7810 Tm)[5]
TJupiter6.732[5]
Physical characteristics
584+155
−144 km[7]
976.31 km[8]
9.61 h (0.400 d)
9.61 hr[9][5]
0.129+0.115
−0.046[7]
Temperature45 K (perihelion)[10]: 11 
CO
2-type ("double-dip")[11]
B–V = 0.94±0.03
V–R = 0.54±0.03
R–I = 0.51±0.03
16 ± 2%/100 nm[12]
20.9[13]
3.75[5][2]
3.99±0.02[7]

(303775) 2005 QU182 is a large trans-Neptunian object in the scattered disc.[2] It was discovered on 30 August 2005 by American astronomers Mike Brown, David Rabinowitz and Chad Trujillo at the Palomar Observatory in California,[1] with precovery images going back to 1974.[14] It was assigned its permanent number in 2014.

Its diameter is approximately 584+155
−144 km,[7] which makes it among the top 34 largest known trans-Neptunian objects.[15] Its surface shows medium reddening and a composition rich in carbon dioxide ice.[12][11] 2005 QU182 completes one rotation every 9.61 hours.[9] Simulations show that its orbit is unstable over a one-billion-year timeframe because of Neptune's gravity.[15]

The Hubble Space Telescope is scheduled to observe the object in 2026 to search for potential moons.[16] If a moon is discovered, it could allow a direct measurement of its mass and density.[17]: 1, 3 

History

Discovery

The 1.2-meter Samuel Oschin telescope that was used to discover 2005 QU182 at Palomar Observatory

2005 QU182 was discovered on 30 August 2005 by American astronomers Mike Brown, David Rabinowitz and Chad Trujillo at the Palomar Observatory[b] in California, United States.[1] At the time, they were searching for distant trans-Neptunian objects using the observatory's 1.2-meter Samuel Oschin telescope.[1] As of 2026, it has been observed 626 times over 52 years, with precovery images back to 1974.[14]

Further observations

Following its discovery, 2005 QU182 was tracked by multiple stations, including the Cerro Tololo Observatory, Las Campanas Observatory, and Mauna Kea Observatory.[14] As of 2026, the object has been observed 626 times over an observation arc of 52 years.[14] 2005 QU182 is scheduled for observation with the Hubble Space Telescope in 2026,[16] if those observations discover a moon, they could lead to a measurement of the mass and density of 2005 QU182.[17]: 1, 3 

Provisional designation and numbering

The object was formally given the provisional designation 2005 QU182 by the Minor Planet Center on 1 September 2007.[18] The provisional designation of 2005 QU182 indicates its discovery date, the first letter represents the second half of August and the second letter and numbers means that it is the 4571st object discovered during that half-month.[19][c] 2005 QU182 was assigned its permanent number 303775 in 2014.

Orbit and classification

2005 QU182 takes around 1,200 years to orbit the Sun. Among large TNOs, only Sedna, 2012 VP113, 2013 FS28, (445473) 2010 VZ98 and 2023 KQ14 have a longer orbit around the Sun.[20]

2005 QU182 is a trans-Neptunian object that orbits the Sun at a distance of 36.8–189.1 AU with an semi-major axis or average orbital distance of 113.0 AU once every 1201 years[4][a] (for reference, Neptune's orbit is at 30 AU).[21][a] Its orbit has a high eccentricity of 0.674 and an inclination of 14.05° with respect to the ecliptic.[4][a] 2005 QU182 came to perihelion in 1971[5] and is currently 51.8 AU from the Sun.[13] In April 2013, it moved beyond 50 AU from the Sun.

2005 QU182 belongs to the scattered disc,[2][3] which is a population of TNOs that have distant, inclined, and eccentric orbits that come close to Neptune at perihelion. The scattered disc population, which includes the dwarf planets Eris and Gonggong, are strongly influenced by Neptune's gravitational perturbations and consequently experience gravitational scattering.[22]: 52  Both the Minor Planet Center (MPC) and Buie classify that 2005 QU182 is a scattered disc object.[2][3]

Orbital stability

In a 2021 study, scientists analyzed the orbital stability of 2005 QU182 over a period of one billion years.[15] At first, those models predicted that its orbit will be very stable, calculating a diffusion time of 68.272 billion years.[15] However, a full 1 billion year simulation showed that the orbit is unstable,[15] due to the object eventually entering the direct influence of Neptune's gravitational influence.[15] In the simulations, none of its tracks managed to stay near its original orbit size.[15] Even though its orbit size changes dramatically, none of the simulation tracks were completely lost or kicked out of the Solar System.[15]

Physical characteristics

Size, mass and density

Second largest main belt asteroid 4 Vesta and 2005 QU182 size and color comparison

In 2012, the diameter of 2005 QU182 was initially estimated to be 416±73 km using data from the Herschel Space Telescope.[23] Later in 2020, the data was reanalyzed, which yielded a notably larger nominal diameter and uncertainty of 584+155
−144 km,[7] making it approximately ³/4 the size of the possible dwarf planet Aya.[d] 2005 QU182 is a relatively large trans-Neptunian object and is among the top 34 largest known TNOs.[15]: 2  2005 QU182 is not known to have any natural satellites or moons, which means there is currently no way to measure its mass and density.[17]: 1, 3 

2005 QU182's size is large enough that Mike Brown classify it as a possible dwarf planet, putting it in the 'probably' zone.[25] However, based on its size of approximately 440–740 km,[7] it belongs to the proposed class of "mid-sized" TNOs between 400 and 1,000 km (250 and 620 mi) in diameter, which are believed to represent the transition between small, low-density TNOs and large, high-density dwarf planets.[26][27]: 1  Planetary scientists have hypothesized that mid-sized TNOs should have highly porous and unheated interiors, because TNOs in this size range (such as Uni and Gǃkúnǁʼhòmdímà) have been found to have low densities around 1 g/cm3.[26]

Surface

Composition and spectrum

Spectrum of 11 double dip (CO2) type large trans-Neptunian objects,[11] 2005 QU182 is the second from the top.[11]

2005 QU182 shares its composition with the CO
2-type (aka "double-dip") trans-Neptunian objects, which are commonly found on dynamically excited orbits such as those in the hot classical Kuiper belt.[11]: 234, 236 [e] The CO
2 type TNO exhibits two adjacent absorption minima in the 3 μm region, resulting in the “double dip” feature.[11] Their spectra is dominated by carbon dioxide ices,carbon monoxide ices, and isotopologue ices, with other irradiation products like light hydrocarbons.[11] The CO
2-type TNOs like 2005 QU182 is the most common spectral type in the DiSco sample.[11]

Color, albedo and surface temperature

2005 QU182 has color indices of: B–V 0.94 ± 0.03; V–R 0.54 ± 0.03; R–I 0.51 ± 0.03. It also has a known spectral slope of 16 ± 2%/100 nm, indicating a surface with medium reddening.[12] Observations by the Herschel Space Telescope show that it has a geometric albedo of 0.129+0.115
−0.046.[7] The surface temperature of 2005 QU182 at perihelion (closest point to the Sun) is estimated to be approximately 45 Kelvin.[10]: 11 

Brightness and visibility

2005 QU182 has a bright absolute magnitude of 3.74.[5] According to the Minor Planet Center, it is the seventh intrinsically brightest scattered-disc object.[29] However, due to its very far distance from Earth, it has a dim apparent magnitude of 20.9 when viewed from Earth.[13]

Rotation

According to a 2013 photometric survey, 2005 QU182 has a rotation period of 9.61 hours,[9][5] with its brightness varying by 0.12 magnitudes during each rotation, indicating an approximate spherical shape.[9]

Origin

As a scattered-disc object, 2005 QU182 is believed to have formed from a primordial disk of icy planetesimals surrounding the young Sun.[11] During the early evolution of the Solar System, gravitational interactions with Neptune scattered the object into its current highly eccentric orbit.[11][15]

Exploration concepts

2005 QU182 has not been visited by any spacecraft.[30] A 2019 study on flyby mission opportunities between 2025 and 2040 calculated hypothetical trajectories to 2005 QU182 using gravity assists from Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune.[30] These trajectories make launch windows between 2025 and 2033,[30]with travel times ranging from 15.7 to 24.5 years.[30] Two specific trajectories using swingbys of both Jupiter and Neptune have launch windows in April 2032,[30] with arrival dates at 2005 QU182 in 2048 and 2050.[30]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 These orbital elements are expressed in terms of the Solar System Barycenter (SSB) as the frame of reference.[4] Due to planetary perturbations, the Sun revolves around the SSB at non-negligible distances, so heliocentric-frame orbital elements and distances (such as those given in JPL's Small-Body Database[5]) can vary on short timescales.[6]
  2. ↑ The discoverer is labeled "Palomar" by the MPC.[14][1]
  3. ↑ The second letter 'U' indicates that it is the 21th object discovered on the 183th cycle of discoveries. Each completed cycle consists of 25 letters representing discoveries, hence 21 + (182 completed cycles × 25 letters) = 4571.[19]
  4. ↑ Aya has a diameter of 768 km (477 mi).[24] ³/4 of Aya's diameter is 576 km (358 mi), which is roughly around 2005 QU182's size of 584+155
    −144     km    .[7]
  5. ↑ The "double-dip" TNO spectral type were later renamed to the "CO
    2    -type" in 2025.[28]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "MPEC 2007-R03 : 2004 PF115, 2004 PG115, 2004 XA192, 2005 QU182". IAU Minor Planet Center. 1 September 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "List Of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Marc W. Buie (24 October 2008). "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 05QU182". SwRI (Space Science Department). Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "JPL/HORIZONS (303775) 2005 QU182 (Barycentric)". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 August 2026. Solution using the Solar System Barycenter. Ephemeris Type: Elements and Center: @0)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2005 QU182)" (last observation: 2009-09-18). Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "JPL/HORIZONS (303775) 2005 QU182 (Heliocentric)". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 August 2026. Solution using the Sun. Ephemeris Type: Elements and Center: @sun)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Farkas-Takács, A.; Kiss, Cs.; Vilenius, E.; Marton, G.; Müller, T. G.; Mommert, M.; et al. (28 February 2020). "TNOs are Cool! A Survey of the transneptunian Region XV. Physical characteristics of 23 resonant transneptunian and scattered disk objects". Astronomy & Astrophysics. A23: 638. arXiv:2002.12712. Bibcode:2020A&A...638A..23F. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936183. S2CID 216193564.
  8. ↑ "MinorPlanet.info: One Asteroid Information". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 7 March 2026. Search using Number = "303775"
  9. 1 2 3 4 Benecchi, Susan D.; Sheppard, Scott S. (25 March 2013). "LIGHT CURVES OF 32 LARGE TRANSNEPTUNIAN OBJECTS". The Astronomical Journal. 145 (5): 124. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/145/5/124. ISSN 0004-6256. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  10. 1 2 Brunetto, R.; Hénault, E.; Cryan, S.; Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Emery, J. P.; Guilbert-Lepoutre, A.; et al. (March 2025). "Spectral Diversity of DiSCo's TNOs Revealed by JWST: Early Sculpting and Late Irradiation". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 982 (1): L8. Bibcode:2025ApJ...982L...8B. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adb977. S2CID 259287422.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pinilla-Alonso, Noemí; Brunetto, Rosario; De Prá, Mário N.; Holler, Bryan J.; Hénault, Elsa; Feliciano, Ana Carolina de Souza; et al. (December 2024). "A JWST/DiSCo-TNOs portrait of the primordial Solar System through its trans-Neptunian objects" (PDF). Nature Astronomy. 9 (2): 230–244. Bibcode:2025NatAs...9..230P. doi:10.1038/s41550-024-02433-2. S2CID 274932942.
  12. 1 2 3 H. Boehnhardt; Schulz, D.; Protopapa, S.; Götz, C. (1 November 2014). "Photometry of Transneptunian Objects for the Herschel Key Program 'TNOs are Cool'". Earth, Moon, and Planets. 114 (1): 35–57. doi:10.1007/s11038-014-9450-x. ISSN 1573-0794.
  13. 1 2 3 "AstDys 2005QU182 Ephemerides". Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "IAU Minor Planet Center". minorplanetcenter.net. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Muñoz-Gutiérrez, Marco A.; Peimbert, Antoni; Lehner, Matthew J.; Wang, Shiang-Yu (October 2021). "Long-term Dynamical Stability in the Outer Solar System. I. The Regular and Chaotic Evolution of the 34 Largest Trans-Neptunian Objects". The Astronomical Journal. 162 (4): 164. arXiv:2107.00240. Bibcode:2021AJ....162..164M. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac1102. S2CID 235694711.
  16. 1 2 Proudfoot, Benjamin (August 2025). A search for the moons of mid-sized TNOs. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (Report). HST Research Proposals. Space Telescope Science Institute. cycle 33, proposal 18010. Retrieved 17 August 2025 – via stsci.edu.
  17. 1 2 3 Grundy, W. M.; McKinnon, W. B.; Ammannito, E.; Aung, M.; Bellerose, J.; Brenker, F.; et al. (December 2009). Exploration Strategy for the Ice Dwarf Planets 2013-2022 (PDF). American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2009. Bibcode:2009AGUFM.P43D1471G. P43D-1471. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2025.
  18. ↑ Gray, Bill. "MPECs for 2007". Project Pluto (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  19. 1 2 "How Are Minor Planets Named?". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: H < 6 (mag) and a > 80 (AU)". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  21. ↑ Yeomans, Donald K. "HORIZONS Web-Interface for Neptune Barycenter (Major Body=8)". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2014.—Select "Ephemeris Type: Orbital Elements", "Time Span: 2000-01-01 12:00 to 2000-01-02". ("Target Body: Neptune Barycenter" and "Center: Solar System Barycenter (@0)".)
  22. ↑ Gladman, Brett; Marsden, Brian G.; VanLaerhoven, Christa (2008). "Nomenclature in the Outer Solar System" (PDF). The Solar System Beyond Neptune. University of Arizona Press. pp. 43–57. arXiv:astro-ph/0702538. Bibcode:2008ssbn.book...43G. ISBN 9780816527557. S2CID 14469199. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2023.
  23. ↑ Santos-Sanz, P.; Lellouch, E.; Fornasier, S.; Kiss, C.; Pal, A.; Müller, T. G.; Vilenius, E.; Stansberry, J.; Mommert, M.; Delsanti, A.; Mueller, M.; Peixinho, N.; Henry, F.; Ortiz, J. L.; Thirouin, A.; Protopapa, S.; Duffard, R.; Szalai, N.; Lim, T.; Ejeta, C.; Hartogh, P.; Harris, A. W.; Rengel, M. (2012). ""TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region IV. Size/albedo characterization of 15 scattered disk and detached objects observed with Herschel-PACS". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 541: A92. arXiv:1202.1481. Bibcode:2012A&A...541A..92S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201118541. S2CID 118600525.
  24. ↑ Vilenius, E.; Kiss, C.; Müller, T.; Mommert, M.; Santos-Sanz, P.; Pál, A.; et al. (April 2014). ""TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region. X. Analysis of classical Kuiper belt objects from Herschel and Spitzer observations". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 564: 18. arXiv:1403.6309v1. Bibcode:2014A&A...564A..35V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322416. S2CID 118513049.
  25. ↑ Michael E. Brown (13 September 2019). "How many dwarf planets are there in the outer solar system?". California Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  26. 1 2 Grundy, W. M.; Noll, K. S.; Buie, M. W.; Benecchi, S. D.; Ragozzine, D.; Roe, H. G. (December 2019). "The Mutual Orbit, Mass, and Density of Transneptunian Binary Gǃkúnǁʼhòmdímà ((229762) 2007 UK126)" (PDF). Icarus. 334: 30–38. Bibcode:2019Icar..334...30G. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2018.12.037. S2CID 126574999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  27. ↑ Sheppard, Scott; Fernandez, Yanga; Moullet, Arielle (6 September 2018). "The Albedos, Sizes, Colors and Satellites of Dwarf Planets Compared with Newly Measured Dwarf Planet 2013 FY27". The Astronomical Journal. 156 (6): 270. arXiv:1809.02184. Bibcode:2018AJ....156..270S. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aae92a. S2CID 119522310.
  28. ↑ Holler, Bryan J.; Brunetto, Rosario; Cruikshank, Dale P.; Cryan, Sasha; Guilbert-Lepoutre, Aurelie; Harvison, Brittany; et al. (September 2025). "A Descriptive Taxonomic Nomenclature for Intermediate-sized Trans-Neptunian Object Spectra". Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. 9 (9): 241. Bibcode:2025RNAAS...9..241H. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/ae03a2.
  29. ↑ "List Of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zangari, Amanda M.; Finley, Tiffany J.; Stern, S. Alan; Tapley, Mark B. (May 2019). "Return to the Kuiper Belt: Launch Opportunities from 2025 to 2040". Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. 56 (3): 919–930. arXiv:1810.07811. Bibcode:2019JSpRo..56..919Z. doi:10.2514/1.A34329. S2CID 119033012.
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