83982 Crantor
Discovery [1]
Discovered byNEAT
Discovery sitePalomar Obs.
Discovery date12 April 2002
Designations
(83982) Crantor
Pronunciation/ˈkræntɔːr/
Named after
Crantor (Greek mythology)[2]
2002 GO9
Uranus co-orbital centaur [1] · distant [3]
Symbol (astrological)
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 3
Observation arc13.37 yr (4,882 days)
Aphelion24.862 AU
Perihelion14.047 AU
19.454 AU
Eccentricity0.2780
85.81 yr (31,342 days)
63.889°
0° 0m 41.4s / day
Inclination12.770°
117.40°
93.203°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
59±12 km[4]
13.94 h[5]
0.121±0.064[4]
RR [6]
B–V = 1.105±0.042[7]
V–R = 0.761±0.039[7]
8.26[5] · 8.693±0.057 (R)[8] · 8.8[1] · 9.03±0.16[4] · 9.17[9][10]

83982 Crantor (provisional designation 2002 GO9) is a centaur in a 1:1 resonance with Uranus, approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 12 April 2002, by astronomers of the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States.[3] This minor planet was named for Crantor from Greek mythology.[2]

Orbit and classification

A diagram showing the orbits of Crantor and Jupiter

Crantor orbits the Sun at a distance of 14.0–24.9 AU once every 85 years and 10 months (31,342 days). Its orbit has a semi-major axis of 19.5 AU, a moderate eccentricity of 0.28, and an inclination of 13° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

The minor planet was first observed on a precovery taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey on 19 March 2001. One night later, the body's observation arc begins with an observation by the Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) at Haleakala Observatory on the island of Hawaii, more than a year prior to its official discovery observation by NEAT.[3]

Co-orbital with Uranus

Crantor was first suggested as a possible co-orbital of Uranus in 2006.[11] The body follows a complex, transient horseshoe orbit around Uranus. Classical horseshoe orbits include the Lagrangian points L3, L4, and L5, but Crantor's horseshoe orbit also brings it near Uranus. The motion of Crantor is mainly controlled by the influence of the Sun and Uranus, but Saturn has a significant destabilizing effect. The precession of the nodes of Crantor is accelerated by Saturn, controlling its evolution and short-term stability.[12]

Naming

This minor planet was named after Crantor, a Lapith from Greek mythology. He was killed in the battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs by Demoleon, who tore off Crantor's chest and left shoulder with a tree trunk that he had thrown at Theseus, who ducked out of the way (centaur Demoleon is not to be confused with Trojan warrior Demoleon, see 18493 Demoleon).[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 December 2005 (M.P.C. 55724).[13]

Physical characteristics

Water ice has been detected on Crantor with a confidence of more than 3σ (99.7%).[14]

Rotation period

A fragmentary rotational lightcurve of Crantor was obtained from photometric observations at the Sierra Nevada Observatory in Granada, Spain . Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 13.94 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.14 magnitude (U=1).[5]

Diameter and albedo

According to the observations by the Herschel Space Telescope with its PACS instrument, Crantor measures 59±12 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.121.[4] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.10 and derives a diameter of 61.59 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.17.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 83982 Crantor (2002 GO9)" (2014-08-01 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). "(83982) Crantor [19.5, 0.28, 12.8]". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 233. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-34361-5_2777. ISBN 978-3-540-34361-5.
  3. ^ a b c "83982 Crantor (2002 GO9)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Duffard, R.; Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Santos-Sanz, P.; Vilenius, E.; Ortiz, J. L.; Mueller, T.; et al. (April 2014). ""TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region. XI. A Herschel-PACS view of 16 Centaurs". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 564: 17. arXiv:1309.0946. Bibcode:2014A&A...564A..92D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322377. S2CID 119177446.
  5. ^ a b c Ortiz, J. L.; Gutiérrez, P. J.; Casanova, V.; Sota, A. (September 2003). "A study of short term rotational variability in TNOs and Centaurs from Sierra Nevada Observatory". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 407 (3): 1149–1155. Bibcode:2003A&A...407.1149O. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030972.
  6. ^ Belskaya, Irina N.; Barucci, Maria A.; Fulchignoni, Marcello; Dovgopol, Anatolij N. (April 2015). "Updated taxonomy of trans-neptunian objects and centaurs: Influence of albedo". Icarus. 250: 482–491. Bibcode:2015Icar..250..482B. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.12.004. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  7. ^ a b Hainaut, O. R.; Boehnhardt, H.; Protopapa, S. (October 2012). "Colours of minor bodies in the outer solar system. II. A statistical analysis revisited". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 546: 20. arXiv:1209.1896. Bibcode:2012A&A...546A.115H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219566. S2CID 54776793. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  8. ^ Peixinho, N.; Delsanti, A.; Guilbert-Lepoutre, A.; Gafeira, R.; Lacerda, P. (October 2012). "The bimodal colors of Centaurs and small Kuiper belt objects". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 546: 12. arXiv:1206.3153. Bibcode:2012A&A...546A..86P. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219057. S2CID 55876118. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  9. ^ Romanishin, W.; Tegler, S. C. (December 2005). "Accurate absolute magnitudes for Kuiper belt objects and Centaurs". Icarus. 179 (2): 523–526. Bibcode:2005Icar..179..523R. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.06.016. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  10. ^ a b "LCDB Data for (83982) Crantor". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  11. ^ Gallardo, Tabaré (September 2006). "Atlas of the mean motion resonances in the Solar System". Icarus. 184 (1): 29–38. Bibcode:2006Icar..184...29G. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.04.001.
  12. ^ de la Fuente Marcos, C.; de la Fuente Marcos, R. (March 2013). "Crantor, a short-lived horseshoe companion to Uranus". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 551: 8. arXiv:1301.0770. Bibcode:2013A&A...551A.114D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220646. S2CID 118531188.
  13. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  14. ^ Barkume, K. M.; Brown, M. E.; Schaller, E. L. (January 2008). "Near-Infrared Spectra of Centaurs and Kuiper Belt Objects" (PDF). The Astronomical Journal. 135 (1): 55–67. Bibcode:2008AJ....135...55B. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/1/55. Retrieved 25 September 2017.

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