(668643) 2012 DR30
A trans-Neptunian object and centaur with an extremely eccentric orbit.
(668643) 2012 DR30 is a centaur and trans-Neptunian object whose highly elongated orbit carries it from the inner Oort cloud, the Solar System’s most distant zone. First spotted on February 6, 2008, by astronomers at China’s Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanking, the object is roughly 188 kilometers (120 miles) across. With an observation arc spanning 14.7 years, its path is well understood. Using February 2017 as a reference point, it has the second-largest heliocentric semi-major axis among minor planets that show no signs of cometary outgassing (only 2014 FE72 has a larger one). Its barycentric semi-major axis is about 1,032 AU, and by July 2018 its heliocentric semi-major axis will peak at 1,644 AU. In February 2009, it passed within 5.7 AU of Saturn, and it reached perihelion in March 2011 at 14.5 AU from the Sun—inside Uranus’s orbit. By 2018, its distance from the Sun will increase from 18.2 AU to 19.1 AU. It reaches opposition in late March. With an absolute magnitude of 7.1, published diameter estimates range from 185 to 188 kilometers. The object will not reach 50 AU from the Sun until 2047. After leaving the planetary region, its barycentric aphelion will be 2,049 AU, with an orbital period of about 33,100 years. Over a 10-million-year simulation, both the best-fit orbit and its 3-sigma clones stay at least 12.2 AU from the Sun at all times.
Quick Facts
- Minorplanet
- yes
- Background
- #C2E0FF
- Mpc Name
- (668643) 2012 DR · 30
- Discoverer
- PMO NEO Survey Program
- Discovery Site
- Purple Mountain Obs.
- Discovered
- 6 February 2008
- Mp Category
- TNO · centaur · damocloid · distant
- Epoch
- 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
- Uncertainty
- 1
- Observation Arc
- 14.72 yr (5,375 d)
- Aphelion
- 3192 AU / 2049 AU (barycentric)
- Perihelion
- 14.5 AU
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Using an epoch of February 2017, 2012 DR30 has the second-largest heliocentric semi-major axis of a minor planet not detected outgassing like a comet, with 2014 FE72 having a larger heliocentric semi-major axis. It has a barycentric semi-major axis of 1032 AU. For the epoch of July 2018, it will have its largest heliocentric semi-major axis of 1644 AU. The object passed 5.7 AU from Saturn in February 2009 and came to perihelion in March 2011 at a distance of 14.5 AU from the Sun, inside the orbit of Uranus. In 2018, it moved from 18.2 AU to 19.1 AU from the Sun, and it comes to opposition in late March. With an absolute magnitude (H) of 7.1, the object has a published diameter of 185 and 188 kilometers, respectively. With an observation arc of 14.7 years, it has a well constrained orbit. It will not be 50 AU from the Sun until 2047. After leaving the planetary region, it will have a barycentric aphelion of 2049 AU with an orbital period of 33100 years. In a 10 million year integration of the orbit, the nominal orbit and both 3-sigma clones remain outside 12.2 AU from the Sun.
Reader's Guide
The significance of (668643) 2012 DR30 lies in its extreme orbit, which bridges the inner Oort cloud and the planetary region, making it a valuable object for studying the dynamics of distant Solar System bodies. Its status as a centaur and trans-Neptunian object with the second-largest heliocentric semi-major axis among non-outgassing minor planets highlights its unusual trajectory. The well-constrained orbit, based on a 14.7-year observation arc, allows reliable predictions of its future path, including its slow departure from the planetary region and its long-term stability outside 12.2 AU over 10 million years. The object's large diameter, around 188 kilometers, and its passage near Saturn and Uranus provide context for its dynamical evolution. Its legacy is as a benchmark for understanding the population of objects that travel from the inner Oort cloud into the inner Solar System, and its orbital parameters serve as a reference for comparing other extreme trans-Neptunian objects.
Did You Know?
- 2012 DR30 was discovered on 6 February 2008 by astronomers at Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanking, China.
- After leaving the planetary region, its barycentric aphelion will be about 2049 AU with an orbital period of roughly 33,100 years.
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