2006 SQ372

Infobox Planet
width = 25em
bgcolour = #FFFFC0
name = mp|2006 SQ|372
symbol =


caption =
discovery = yes
discovery_ref =
discoverer = Andrew Becker, Nathan Kaib
discovered = September 27, 2006
mp_name = mp|2006 SQ|372
mp_category = Scattered disccite web
title=List Of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects
publisher=Minor Planet Center
url=http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/lists/Centaurs.html
accessdate=2008-09-06]
Centaur (DES)cite web
author=Marc W. Buie
date=2008-08-29
title=Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 06SQ372
publisher=SwRI (Space Science Department)
url=http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~buie/kbo/astrom/06SQ372.html
accessdate=2008-09-05]
orbit_ref = cite web
date=2008-07-31 last obs
title=JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (mp|2006 SQ|372)
url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2006SQ372
accessdate=2008-08-19]
epoch = May 14 2008
aphelion = 2005.38 AU (Q)
perihelion = 24.17 AU (q)
semimajor = 1014.777 AU (a)
eccentricity = 0.976
period = 32326.21 a
avg_speed =
inclination = 19.46°
asc_node = 197.36°
mean_anomaly = 0.01969° (M)
arg_peri = 122.34°
satellites =
physical_characteristics = yes
dimensions = 50 - 100 kmcite web
title=Absolute Magnitude (H)
publisher=NASA/JPL
url=http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/glossary/h.html
accessdate=2008-08-30]
mass =
density =
surface_grav =
escape_velocity =
sidereal_day =
axial_tilt =
pole_ecliptic_lat =
pole_ecliptic_lon =
albedo =
spectral_type =
magnitude =
abs_magnitude = 8.1

mp|2006 SQ|372 is a small trans-Neptunian object discovered through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by Andrew Becker, Nathan Kaib and coworkers on images first taken on September 27, 2006 (with precovery images dated to September 13, 2005). [ [http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=2626 An Icy Wanderer from the Oort Cloud] ] [cite news | title = First object seen from solar system's inner Oort cloud | work = New Scientist | date = 18 August 2008 | url = http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14548-first-object-seen-from-solar-systems-inner-oort-cloud.html | accessdate = 2008-08-18]

It has a strongly eccentric orbit, crossing that of Neptune near perihelion but bringing it more than 2,000 AU from the Sun at aphelion. Its orbit takes between 22,000 and 32,000 years to complete. In this respect it is similar to 90377 Sedna or mpl|(148209) 2000 CR|105. However, having a diameter between 50 and 100 km, it is much smaller (similar in size to 2060 Chiron) and it could possibly be a comet. The discoverers hypothesize that the object could come from the inner Oort cloud, however other scientists like California Institute of Technology's Mike Brown also consider other possibilities, as "it may have formed from debris just beyond Neptune [in the Kuiper belt] and been 'kicked' into it's distant orbit by a planet like Neptune or Uranus". [cite news | title = New "Minor Planet" Found in Solar System | work = National Geographic News | date = 19 August 2008 | url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080819-new-planet.html | accessdate = 2008-08-18]

Perturbation

More than half of the simulations of mp|2006 SQ|372 show that it gets too close to either Uranus or Neptune within the next 180 million years sending it in a currently unknown direction.cite web
date=25 August 2008
title= Sky survey yields new cosmic haul
publisher=BBC
author=Dr Chris Lintott
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7580539.stm
accessdate=2008-09-06] This makes it difficult to classify this object as only a centaur or a scattered disc object. The Minor Planet Center (MPC), which officially catalogues all trans-Neptunian objects, lists centaurs and SDOs together. (29981) 1999 TD₁₀ is another such object that blurs the two categories.cite web
date=1999-11-11
title=New Object in Solar System Defies Categories
publisher=Space.com
author=Kenneth Silber
url=http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/centaur_disc_991111.html
accessdate=2008-09-07]

References

External links

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* [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2006SQ372;orb=1;view=Far Orbital simulation] from JPL (Java) / [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi?find_body=1&body_group=sb&sstr=2006SQ372 Ephemeris]