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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Pluto / KBO _ 2007 OR10 likely the third-largest known KBO

Posted by: Mongo Mar 11 2016, 02:52 AM

http://arxiv.org/abs/1603.03090

QUOTE

We present the first comprehensive thermal and rotational analysis of the second most distant trans-Neptunian object (225088) 2007 OR10. We combined optical light curves provided by the Kepler space telescope -- K2 extended mission and thermal infrared data provided by the Herschel Space Observatory. We found that (225088) 2007 OR10 is likely to be larger and darker than derived by earlier studies: we obtained a diameter of d=1535^{+75}_{-225} km which places (225088) 2007 OR10 in the biggest top three trans-Neptunian objects. The corresponding visual geometric albedo is p_V=0.089^{+0.031}_{-0.009}. The light curve analysis revealed a slow rotation rate of P_rot=44.81+/-0.37 h, superseded by a very few objects only. The most likely light-curve solution is double-peaked with a slight asymmetry, however, we cannot safely rule out the possibility of having a rotation period of P_rot=22.40+/-0.18 h which corresponds to a single-peaked solution. Due to the size and slow rotation, the shape of the object should be a MacLaurin ellipsoid, so the light variation should be caused by surface inhomogeneities. Its newly derived larger diameter also implies larger surface gravity and a more likely retention of volatiles -- CH4, CO and N2 -- on the surface.

I think that as it's likely the third-largest known KBO, with a possible atmosphere, this object deserves a thread of its own. Somebody should tell Mike Brown that it's high time that he named this object. http://www.mikebrownsplanets.com/2011/08/redemption-of-snow-white-part-1.html, he's the only one who is allowed to name it under the current system, but he has not bothered to do so for almost a decade. Every other known KBO out there that's even remotely close to it in diameter has long since been officially named.

Posted by: elakdawalla Mar 11 2016, 04:35 AM

It's not up to Mike to name it; it's his former student who discovered it, Meg Schwamb. He's as irritated as you are that it doesn't have a name yet. She wants to involve the public but hasn't had the time, being a student and then a postdoc who needed to focus on other things. But https://twitter.com/megschwamb/status/708142606975250433, so, hopefully, soon.

Posted by: HSchirmer Mar 11 2016, 07:16 PM

QUOTE (elakdawalla @ Mar 11 2016, 04:35 AM)

It's not up to Mike to name it; it's his former student who discovered it, Meg Schwamb.

Well, Megan is supposed to mean pearl, something informal like "Black Pearl" or perhaps "Pearl's black world".

Posted by: MarcF Apr 9 2019, 09:41 PM

2007 OR10, is finally about to be named. The public can vote until May 1st. Gonggong, Holle or Vili ?
I wonder what could be the choice of the name for its moon !
See:
https://2007or10.name/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0dh3FBUwFswnfKl58vB9qxCXH1LJQw01Bn4FcI3tQKbKyKQZYbjnSJIxw#names
Regards,
Marc

Posted by: Marcin600 May 29 2019, 10:01 PM

QUOTE (MarcF @ Apr 9 2019, 11:41 PM)

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2019/or10-vote-results.html

Posted by: Ron Hobbs Feb 23 2020, 03:26 AM

Gonggong is now the official name of 225088.

(225088) Gonggong = 2007 OR10
Discovered at Palomar on 2007-07-17 by M. E. Schwamb, M. E. Brown, and D. Rabinowitz.
(225088) Gonggong = 2007 OR10

Gonggong is a Chinese water god with red hair and a serpent-like tail. He is known for creating chaos, causing flooding, and tilting the Earth; he is often depicted with the head of a human and the body of a snake. Gonggong is often attended by his minister, Xiangliu, a nine-headed poisonous snake monster for whom the satellite is named. [Ref: Minor Planet Circ. 121135]

https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=225088&commit=Show