28978 Ixion

28978 Ixion is a Kuiper belt object that was found on 22 May, 2001. Ixion is a plutino (an object that has a 2:3 orbital resonance with Neptune) and could be a dwarf planet. Astronomers think that it has a diameter of about 800 km, which makes it the third biggest plutino. It is named after Ixion, a figure from Greek mythology. Before it was named Ixion, it had the provisional designation 2001 KX76.

28978 Ixion Ixion symbol (bold).svg
28978-ixion hst.jpg
Discovery
Discovered byDeep Ecliptic Survey
Discovery date22 May, 2001
Designations
MPC designation28978 Ixion
2001 KX76
TNO (plutino)[1]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 31 December, 2006 (JD 2 454 100.5)
Aphelion7 370.503 Gm (49.269 AU)
Perihelion4 501.495 Gm (30.091 AU)
5 935.999 Gm (39.680 AU)
Eccentricity0.242
91 295.847 d (249.95 a)
4.66 km/s
268.546°
Inclination19.584°
71.028°
298.779°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions~650+260−220 [3]
< 822 km diameter[4]
< 2.24×106 km²
Volume< 3.15×108 km³
Mass≈3×1020? kg[5]
Mean density
2.0? g/cm³
< 0.229 7? m/s²
< 0.434 6? km/s
? d
Albedo0.15-0.37[4]
Temperature≈44 K
Spectral type
(moderately red; B-V=1.03, V-R=0.61)
19.6 (opposition)
3.2[2]

28978 Ixion Media

References

  1. Marc W. Buie (12 July 2007). "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 28978". SwRI (Space Science Department). Retrieved 29 September 2008.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 28978 Ixion (2001 KX76)". 12 July 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
  3. John Stansberry, Will Grundy, Mike Brown, Dale Cruikshank, John Spencer, David Trilling, Jean-Luc Margot (2007). "Physical Properties of Kuiper Belt and Centaur Objects: Constraints from Spitzer Space Telescope". arXiv:astro-ph/0702538. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Wm. Robert Johnston. "TNO/Centaur diameters and albedos".
  5. Using the 2007 Spitzer spherical radius of 325 km; volume of a sphere * an assumed density of 2 g/cm³ yields a mass (m=d*v) of 2.8E+20 kg