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Interesting discovery: 2014 UN271- a 100 km object from DECam. Perihelion 2031 Jan 28 a = 5416.99752 +/- 228 AU e = 0.9979808 +/- 8.56e-5 Incl. 95.53003 +/- 0.00023 Period = 398692 years! H = 7.8 q = 10.9377353 +/- 0.000814 AU Q = 10823.0573 +/- 459 AU
From Sam Deen / MPML: Based on the absolute magnitude... I would estimate a diameter of 130-370 kilometers - almost in dwarf planet territory! I have little doubt that as this gets closer, it will begin displaying the coma and tail typical of every object yet seen in its orbit.
2014? Is this updated orbital parameters?
These temporary names ("provisional designations") aren't issued until the orbit is regarded as good enough but they are still based on when the data were first taken. Given that the data span from 2014-2018, this object may have been found in a re-analysis of the DES data.
Hmm, interesting. Likely is / was / will be a comet with an orbit like that. Perihelion is comparable to that of Saturn. Opposition this September and relatively bright at V=21. A shame it is so far south (Dec -51 and getting lower) or I would have a go at imaging it.
Unless it already has a coma out there at 20 AU, it is a relatively big object - 100 km! I think it has the highest semi major axis of any non-cometary body - winning that from 2017 MB7.
What kind of object is it leaning towards?
Dam. 100 km object at 5000 AU!
Note that right now it is at 20.236 AU (and decreasing; it's falling towards the Sun at about 9 km/s).
Orthogonal retrograde.
Thanks for highlighting this object we just announced =) this was found in a complete search for trans-Neptunian objects in the six years of DES data
Is that why took until now to be recognized?
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