(496315) 2013 GP136
A trans-Neptunian object from the scattered disc with a possible resonance to Planet Nine.
(496315) 2013 GP136 is a trans-Neptunian object from the scattered disc in the outermost reaches of the Solar System. Its diameter is roughly 212 kilometers. It was first observed on 8 February 2013 as part of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey, using telescopes at the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawaii. The object follows a highly elliptical orbit around the Sun, ranging from 41.1 to 268.5 astronomical units (AU) and completing one revolution every 1,925 years and 4 months. Its orbital eccentricity is 0.73, and its path is tilted 33° relative to the ecliptic plane. A 2016 study by Malhotra at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory classified it as a detached object because its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) exceeds 40 AU. The same study noted that its orbital period is six times that of 90377 Sedna and suggested it may be in a 9:1 mean-motion resonance with a hypothetical Planet Nine.
- Classification
- trans-Neptunian object from the scattered disc
Lore & Background
2013 GP136 was discovered on 8 February 2013 by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey at the Mauna Kea Observatories on the island of Hawaii. Its orbit carries it from 41.1 AU to 268.5 AU from the Sun, taking 1925 years and 4 months to complete one revolution. The orbit has an eccentricity of 0.73 and an inclination of 33° with respect to the ecliptic. In a 2016 paper by Malhotra of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, the object was described as a detached object with a perihelion greater than 40 AU. The paper also noted a 6:1 orbital period ratio with 90377 Sedna and a possible 9:1 mean-motion resonance with a hypothetical large Planet Nine.
Reader's Guide
The significance of (496315) 2013 GP136 lies in its orbital characteristics, which place it among the scattered disc objects in the outermost Solar System. Its mention in a 2016 paper by Malhotra highlights its role in studies of detached objects—those with perihelia beyond 40 AU—and its potential dynamical link to a hypothetical Planet Nine. The object's 6:1 orbital period ratio with Sedna and its possible 9:1 mean-motion resonance with Planet Nine make it a key target for understanding the architecture of the distant Solar System. As a discovery of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey, it contributes to the growing census of trans-Neptunian objects and helps refine models of planetary migration and the existence of unseen planets. Its large diameter of approximately 212 kilometers also makes it a significant body in the scattered disc population.
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