- Source: 2013 AZ60
2013 AZ60 is a small Solar System body (extended centaur) from the scattered disk or inner Oort cloud. 2013 AZ60 has the 8th-largest semi-major axis of a minor planet not detected outgassing like a comet (2013 BL76, 2005 VX3 and 2012 DR30 have a larger semi-major axis).
2013 AZ60 came to perihelion in November 2014 at a distance of 7.9 AU from the Sun (inside of the orbit of Saturn). With an absolute magnitude (H) of 10.2, 2013 AZ60 has an estimated diameter of 40 km. Comet Hale–Bopp, which is roughly the same size, was not discovered until it was 7.2 AU from the Sun and had started outgassing CO. 2013 AZ60 may be discovered to be cometary as it comes to perihelion. It comes to opposition at the start of April.
After leaving the planetary region of the Solar System, 2013 AZ60 will have a barycentric aphelion of 827 AU with an orbital period of 8500 years. In a 10 million year integration of the orbit, one of the 3-sigma clones is ejected from the Solar System.
Physical characteristics and orbit
A 2016 study found 2013 AZ60 to have a comet-like albedo of 2.9% (darker than any other known ejected centaur) and a color typical of D-type asteroids. It is unknown if it is a so-called "super comet" or an extinct comet, considering its large distance from the Sun. It was also determined that 2013 AZ60 has a diameter of 62.3±5.3 kilometers, larger than initially believed. A light curve analysis found it to have a rotation period of 9.39±0.22 hours, typical of asteroids its size. No significant satellites were detected.
It was also found that 2013 AZ60 is on an extremely unstable orbit, with a ~64% chance of being ejected from the Solar system in 1 million years, and a ~25% chance of being ejected in the next 500,000 years, as well as a 4.2% chance of its orbit venturing into the neighborhood of Earth.
Comparison
See also
90377 Sedna (relatively large and also distant body)
List of hyperbolic comets
Pluto
2012 VP113
List of Solar System objects by greatest aphelion
Have very large aphelion
2012 DR30 (14–2049 AU)
2005 VX3 (4–2049 AU)
2013 BL76 (8–1920 AU)
References
External links
2013 AZ60 Archived 22 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine (Seiichi Yoshida)
JPL Webcite archive of Epoch 2016-Jan-13 with aphelion (Q) of 1450AU
2013 AZ60 at the JPL Small-Body Database