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(119979) 2002 WC19
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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(119979) 2002 WC19 (provisional designation 2002 WC19) is a twotino, that is, a planetoid in a 1:2 orbital resonance with Neptune. It was discovered on November 16, 2002 at the Palomar Observatory. If its derived diameter is correct it would have a higher density than Pluto, which is unusual as it appears to be much smaller than the expected size at which a Kuiper belt object usually becomes solid.
Knowing how many twotinos there are may reveal whether Neptune took roughly 1 million or 10 million years to migrate about 7 AU from its birth location.[7]
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Satellite
On February 27, 2007, a natural satellite was reported to be orbiting (119979) 2002 WC19. It is estimated to be 4092±94 km from the primary, with an orbital period of 8.403±0.001 days, an eccentricity of 0.21±0.05 and an inclination of 24.0°±0.7°. Assuming similar albedos, it is a quarter the diameter of its primary, or around 81 kilometres (50 mi) in diameter.[5]
- Orbit of 2002 WC19 compared to Pluto and Neptune
- 1:2 libration over 20,000 years – Neptune is held stationary (dot at 5 o'clock); orbit of Uranus in blue
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References
External links
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