Orbital elements and other data (Assumed or derived values in parenthesis, my estimates in italics and parenthesis. Source identifications in brackets, see this link for sources):

--(47171) 1999 TC36--discovery and notes:

Primary discovered 1 October 1999 by E. P. Rubenstein and L.-G. Strolger from Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA.

Secondary discovered from 8 December 2001 observations by C. A. Trujillo and M. E. Brown using the Hubble Space Telescope; announced 10 January 2002.

The primary was itself hypothesized as binary in 2005 based on lightcurve observations. Analysis of Hubble Space Telescope imagery by Seth Jacobson and J. L. Margot showed the primary to be elongated in a manner best explained if it was two unresolved components; results announced October 2007. This was confirmed in 2009 based on further analysis of Hubble Space Telescope imagery by Susan D. Benecchi, K. S. Noll, W. M. Grundy, and H. F. Levison, results announced September 2009.

See more information and links at Asteroid/Comet Connection Catchall Catalog page

--Links, more technical:

• IAUC 7787.
• IAUC 7807.
• Binary trans-Neptunian 1999 TC36.
• First observation of 1999 TC36.

--Links, less technical:

--Links to ADS abstracts:

• Barucci, M. A., Merlin, F., & Dotto, E. 2004, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts Heterogeneity/homogeneity on the TNO and Centaur surfaces
• Margot, J. L., Brown, M. E., Trujillo, C. A., & Sari, R. 2004, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts HST observations of Kuiper Belt binaries
• Boehnhardt, Hermann, Barucci, Antonella, Delsanti, Audrey, De Bergh, Catherine, Doressoundiram, Alain, Romon, Jennifer, Dotto, Elisabetta, Tozzi, Gianpaolo, Lazzarin, Monica, Fornasier, Sonia, Peixinho, Nuno, Hainaut, Olivier, Davies, John, Rousselot, Philippe, Barrera, Luis, Birkle, Kurt, Meech, Karen, Ortiz, JoseLuis, Sekiguchi, Tomohiko, Watanabe, Jun-ichi, Thomas, Nick, & West, Richard 2003, Earth Moon and Planets Results from the Eso Large Program on Transneptunian Objects and Centaurs
• Altenhoff, W. J., Bertoldi, F., & Menten, K. M. 2004, Astronomy and Astrophysics Size estimates of some optically bright KBOs
• Dotto, E., Barucci, M. A., Boehnhardt, H., Romon, J., Doressoundiram, A., Peixinho, N., de Bergh, C., & Lazzarin, M. 2003, Icarus Searching for water ice on 47171 1999 TC36, 1998 SG35, and 2000 QC243: ESO large program on TNOs and centaurs*
• Ortiz, J. L., Gutiérrez, P. J., Casanova, V., & Sota, A. 2003, Astronomy and Astrophysics A study of short term rotational variability in TNOs and Centaurs from Sierra Nevada Observatory
• Licandro, J., Campins, H., de Leon Cruz, J., Gil-Hutton, R., & Lara-Lopez, L. M. 2003, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Near infrared spectroscopy of TNOs, Centaurs and comet nuclei.
• Dotto, E., Barucci, M. A., Boehnhardt, H., Romon, J., Doressoundiram, A., Peixinho, N., de Bergh, C., & Lazzarin, M. 2003, Icarus Searching for water ice on 47171 1999 TC36, 1998 SG35, and 2000 QC243: ESO large program on TNOs and centaurs*
• Peixinho, N., Doressoundiram, A., & Romon-Martin, J. 2002, New Astronomy Visible-IR colors and lightcurve analysis of two bright TNOs: 1999 TC₃₆ and 1998 SN₁₆₅
• Delsanti, A. C., Boehnhardt, H., Barrera, L., Meech, K. J., Sekiguchi, T., & Hainaut, O. R. 2001, Astronomy and Astrophysics BVRI Photometry of 27 Kuiper Belt Objects with ESO/Very Large Telescope
• Brown, M. E. 2000, American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #32, #20.08 Near-infrared spectroscopy of Kuiper belt objects
• Griffin, I. P., Brady, N., Greatrex, R., Bredenkamp, T., & Marsden, B. G. 2000, Minor Planet Electronic Circ., 2000-O37 (2000). 1999 TC36
• Luu, J. X., Jewitt, D. C., Trujillo, C. A., Tholen, D., Sheppard, S., Rubenstein, E. P., Smith, C. R., Strolger, L.-G., Hergenrother, C. W., & Marsden, B. G. 1999, Minor Planet Electronic Circ., 1999-Y19 (1999). 1999 RV214

© 2003-2006, 2009 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 6 December 2009.
Return to Home. Return to Astronomy and Space. Return to Asteroids with Satellites.