Explanation: Newly discovered minor planet 2001 KX76 is circled in the top panel above, a recent composite image from the European Southern Observatory's 2.2 meter telescope at La Silla, Chile. Though 2001 KX76 appears here as single point of light in an unremarkable star field, its orbit has been accurately measured by Astrovirtel, a newly operational "virtual telescope" capable of mining many years of archival data for previously unrecognized images of 2001 KX76. The results show this minor planet to be very distant, orbiting just beyond Pluto and Charon in the realm of the Kuiper Belt. At its distance, apparent brightness, and assuming a reasonable surface reflectivity, 2001 KX76 would be 1,200 kilometers or more across -- larger than the largest main-belt asteroid, Ceres. In fact, the illustration in the bottom panel graphically compares this size estimate to Pluto, Charon, and the largest previously known Kuiper Belt objects, indicating the newfound minor planet is second only to Pluto in diameter. Along with other evidence, the comparison suggests that Pluto and Charon are closely related to Kuiper Belt worlds like 2001 KX76.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 |
Yanvar' Fevral' Mart Aprel' Mai Iyun' Iyul' Avgust Sentyabr' Oktyabr' Noyabr' Dekabr' |
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
|
Publikacii s klyuchevymi slovami:
Poyas Koipera - Haron - Pluton - kuiper belt - Pluto - Charon
Publikacii so slovami: Poyas Koipera - Haron - Pluton - kuiper belt - Pluto - Charon | |
Sm. takzhe:
Vse publikacii na tu zhe temu >> | |
