(50000) Quaoar

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 25 November 2008

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):

orbital data, primary (osculating elements) [JPL]:
semimajor axis a: 43.612 AU
orbital period P: 288.01 y (=105,196.3 d)
eccentricity e: 0.03703
perihelion distance q: 41.997 AU
aphelion distance Q: 45.226 AU
inclination i: 7.98500°
argument of perihelion omega: 147.87°
ascending node OMEGA: 188.8225°
mean anomaly M: 284.03°
perihelion passage TP: 2068-01-19.3
Epoch: 10 APR 2007
data arc: 1954-2006 (133 obs.)

orbital data, secondary:
semimajor axis a: (11,000 km separation) [I8812]
semimajor axis/primary radius a/Rp: (18?)
orbital period P: (~10 d?)
eccentricity e: ?

other data, primary:
diameter: 1260 ± 190 km [B04a]
absolute magnitude H: 2.67 ± 0.80 [JPL]
rotation period: 17.6788± 0.0004 h [O03c]
(8.840± 0.008 h) [R07a]
amplitude delta M: 0.133± 0.028 [O03c]
0.18±0.10 [R07a]
color index B-V: 0.94±0.01 [T03b]
color index V-R: 0.64±0.01 [T03b]
color index B-R: 1.58±0.01 [T03b]
color index V-I: 1.28±0.02 [F04a]
slope parameter G: (0.15) assumed
geometric albedo: 0.092 +0.036/-0.023 (R) [B04a]
0.101 +0.039/-0.024 (B) [B04a]
mass: ?
density: ?
type: ?

other data, secondary:
diameter: (95 ± 24 km)
diameter ratio Ds/Dp: (0.076 ± 0.007)
component magnitude difference: 5.6±0.2 [I8812]
rotation period: ?

--(50000) Quaoar--discovery and notes:

Primary discovered 4 June 2002 by C. A. Trujillo and M. E. Brown and Palomar Observatory, California, USA; subsequently linked to observations to 25 May 1954. Alternate designation 2002 LM60.

Companion discovered by M. E. Brown and T.-A. Suer using Hubble Space Telescope observations from 14 February 2006; reported 22 February 2007.

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

--Links, more technical:

--Links, less technical:

--Links to ADS abstracts:


© 2007, 2008 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 25 November 2008.
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