2014 MU69

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2014 MU69
2014 MU69 travels diagonally across a dense field of stars and noise in the background
New Horizons target, 2014 MU69 (green circles), as it travels across a dense field of stars and noise in the background. Images taken at 10-minute intervals by WFC3 in 2014.
Discovery[1]
Discovered by Hubble Space Telescope
Discovery date 26 June 2014
Designations
MPC designation 2014 MU69
1110113Y,[2] 11,[3] PT1[4]
Classical Kuiper belt object[2]
Orbital characteristics[6]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) [1]
Uncertainty parameter 4[1]
Observation arc 373 days[1]
Aphelion 45.78 AU[1]
Perihelion 42.64±0.02 AU[1]
44.21 AU[1][5]
Eccentricity 0.0355±0.0005,[1] 0.036[5]
294 yr
4.48 km/s
304.43° [1]
Inclination 2.4530°±0.0001°,[1] 1.9° [5]
158.941°±0.005° [1]
182.4°±0.5° [1]
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 30–45 km (19–28 mi) [2]
25–45 km (16–28 mi) [3]
Albedo (albedo ranges assumed)
0.04–0.10 [2]
0.04–0.15 [3]
25.4–27.2 [1][2]
10.9,[1] 9.1[6]

2014 MU69 (initially called PT1 and 1110113Y by the New Horizons and Hubble teams, respectively) is a classical Kuiper belt object. It is the target for the New Horizons probe for a flyby on 1 January 2019, after its Pluto flyby.[4] It was selected as New Horizons' target in August 2015.[7] After four course changes in October and November 2015, New Horizons is on course toward 2014 MU69.[8][9]

History

Discovery

On 26 June 2014, 2014 MU69 was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope during a preliminary survey to find a suitable Kuiper belt object for the New Horizons probe to flyby. The discovery required use of the Hubble Space Telescope, because with an apparent magnitude of 26 it is too faint for all but the most powerful telescopes. Hubble is also capable of very precise astrometry and hence a reliable orbit determination.[10][11]

Designation

When 2014 MU69 was first observed, it was labelled 1110113Y,[12] and nicknamed "11", for short.[3][4] Its existence as a potential target of the New Horizons probe was announced by NASA in October 2014[13][14] and it was designated PT1 ("Potential Target 1"). Its official designation, 2014 MU69, was assigned by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) in March 2015 after sufficient orbital information was gathered.[4]

The name 2014 MU69 is a provisional designation and indicates that it was the 1745th object (("U" => 20) + ("69" x 25)) discovered between 16 and 30 June 2014 ("2014", "M").[citation needed]

Characteristics

Based on its brightness and distance, 2014 MU69 is estimated to have a diameter of 30–45 km (20–30 mi).[2] Its orbital period is about 293 years and it has a low inclination and low eccentricity.[15] This unexcited orbit means that it is a cold classical Kuiper belt object which likely has not undergone significant perturbations.[2] Observations in May and July 2015 greatly reduced the uncertainties in the orbit,[10] and the updated orbit parameters are available in the MPC database.

Exploration

Having completed its flyby of Pluto, the New Horizons spacecraft has been maneuvered for a flyby of 2014 MU69, which will occur on 31 December 2018 or 1 January 2019, at which point it will be 43.4 AU from the Sun in the constellation Sagittarius.[16][17][18][19] 2014 MU69 is the first object to be targeted for a flyby that was discovered after the spacecraft was launched.[10]

Gallery

300px
Size of 2014 MU69 (PT1) compared to the coast of Massachusetts and Rosetta's target, comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
New Horizons trajectory and the orbits of Pluto and 2014 MU69.
The five discovery images of 2014 MU69, shown separately.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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