2006 BZ8

2006 BZ₈ is a dark centaur and damocloid on a retrograde and highly eccentric orbit from the outer region of the Solar System. It was first observed on 23 January 2006 by the Catalina Sky Survey at the Catalina Station near Tucson, Arizona, United States. It has not been observed since 2008.^[1] This unusual object is estimated around 9–23.5 kilometers (5.6–15 miles) in diameter.^[5]

2006 BZ₈

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	CSS
Discovery site	Catalina Stn.
Discovery date	23 January 2006 (first observed only)
Designations
MPC designation	2006 BZ8
Minor planet category	centaur[2] · damocloid[3] unusual[4] · distant[1]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 1 July 2021 (JD 2459396.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc	1.71 yr (623 days)
Aphelion	17.310 AU
Perihelion	1.890 AU
Semi-major axis	9.600 AU
Eccentricity	0.8031
Orbital period (sidereal)	29.75 yr (10,865 d)
Mean anomaly	181.859°
Mean motion	0° 1m 59.282s / day
Inclination	165.302°
Longitude of ascending node	183.444°
Argument of perihelion	82.014°
Earth MOID	0.9708 AU
Jupiter MOID	0.2159 AU
Saturn MOID	1.6202 AU[1]
TJupiter	–1.024
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	9.0–24.5 km[5]
Synodic rotation period	5.960±0.003 h[5]
Geometric albedo	0.020+0.022 −0.010[5]
Absolute magnitude (H)	14.17±0.13 (linear)[a] 13.82±0.15 (H-G)[b]

See also

• List of notable asteroids § Retrograde and highly inclined
• 2006 RJ2 – retrograde centaur, damocloid, and potential co-orbital with Saturn
• 2017 SV13 – another retrograde centaur, damocloid, and potential co-orbital with Saturn

Notes

1. Linear fit of CSS V-band photometry using a phase slope of β = 0.054±0.008 mag per degree of phase angle.^[5]
2. Two-parameter H-G modeling of V-band CSS photometry takes the opposition effect into account, yielding an absolute magnitude of H = 13.82±0.15 and a slope parameter of G = −0.12±0.10.^[5]