(275809) 2001 QY297

(275809) 2001 QY₂₉₇ is a trans-Neptunian object from the classical Kuiper belt, located in the outermost region of the Solar System. The binary classical Kuiper belt object belongs to the cold population.^[5]

(275809) 2001 QY₂₉₇

Hubble Space Telescope image of 2001 QY297 and its satellite, taken in 2006
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	Marc Buie
Discovery date	21 August 2001
Designations
Designation	(275809) 2001 QY297
Alternative names	2001 QY297
Minor planet category	TNO[1] · cubewano[2][3] cold
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 13 January 2013 (JD 2454100.5)
Aphelion	47.380 AU
Perihelion	40.013 AU
Semi-major axis	43.697 AU
Eccentricity	0.084
Orbital period (sidereal)	288.86 a
Mean anomaly	84.415°
Inclination	1.548°
Longitude of ascending node	108.776°
Argument of perihelion	123.591°
Known satellites	1 (D: 154+15 −73 km[4][5]
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	229+22 −108 km (effective) 169+16 −80 km (primary)
Mass	(4.105±0.038)×1018 kg[5]
Mean density	0.92+1.30 −0.27 g/cm3[5][a]
Synodic rotation period	11.68 h[6]
Albedo	0.152+0.439 −0.035[5]
Spectral type	V−R = 0.43±0.09 B−V = 0.7[4]
Absolute magnitude (H)	5.86±0.31[7]

Discovery and orbit

2001 QY₂₉₇ was discovered on 21 August 2001 by Marc William Buie from Cerro Tololo Observatory, La Serena, Chile.^[4][2] 2001 QY₂₉₇ belongs to the dynamically cold population of the classical Kuiper belt objects, which have small orbital eccentricities and inclinations. Their semi-major axes reside mainly in the interval 40–45 AU.^[5]

Satellite

2001 QY₂₉₇ is a binary system consisting of two components of approximately equal size.^[5] The satellite was discovered on 18 April 2006.^[4] Assuming that both components have the same albedo, the primary is estimated to be about 169 km in diameter. The size of the secondary (satellite) in this case is estimated at around 154 km. The total mass of the system is approximately 4×10¹⁸ kg. The average density of both components is about 1 g/cm³.^[5]

Orbital parameters of the (275809) 2001 QY₂₉₇ system^[8]

Semi-major axis (km)	Eccentricity	Period (d)	Inclination (°)
9960 ± 31	0.4175 ± 0.0023	138.110 ± 0.023	172.86 ± 0.20

Physical properties

The surfaces of both components of 2001 QY₂₉₇ appear to have a red color.^[7] The object shows significant photometric variability with lightcurve amplitude of 0.49±0.03. The rotational period is either 5.84 or 11.68 hours.^[6]

Notes

1. Assuming that both components have equal albedos and equal densities