(307261) 2002 MS4

(307261) 2002 MS4
2002 MS4 imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope on 9 April 2006
Discovery[1]
Discovered byChadwick A. Trujillo
Michael E. Brown
Discovery sitePalomar Obs.
Discovery date18 June 2002
Designations
2002 MS4
TNO[2] · cubewano (hot)[3]: 56 
distant[1] · Scat-Ext[4]
Orbital characteristics (barycentric)[5][2]
Epoch 25 February 2023 (JD 2460000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc66.22 yr (24,188 d)
Earliest precovery date8 April 1954
Aphelion47.801 AU
Perihelion35.677 AU
41.739 AU
Eccentricity0.14524
269.48 yr (98,429 d)
226.844°
0° 0m 13.167s / day
Inclination17.693°
216.075°
≈ 10 June 2123[6]
±0.6 days[2]
214.575°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions(823±20) × (770±34) km (projected)[7]
796±24 km[7]
Flattening≥0.066±0.034[7]: 5 
14.251 h[8]: 5, 54 
7.33 h or 10.44 h (single-peaked)[9]: 158 [a]
0.100±0.025[7]: 8  or 0.098±0.004[10]: 2  (geometric)
0.039±0.005 (Bond)[10]: 23 
Temperature65 K[11]
B−V=0.69±0.02[12]: 6 
V−R=0.38±0.02
B−R=1.07±0.02
20.5[13]
3.56±0.03[8]: 62, 74 
3.63±0.05[7]: 8 
3.62[2][1]

(307261) 2002 MS4 (provisional designation 2002 MS4) is a large trans-Neptunian object in the Kuiper belt, which is a region of icy planetesimals beyond Neptune. It was discovered on 18 June 2002 by Chad Trujillo and Michael Brown during their search for bright, Pluto-sized Kuiper belt objects at Palomar Observatory. To within measurement uncertainties, 2002 MS4, 2002 AW197, and 2013 FY27 have a diameter close to 800 km (500 mi), which makes them the largest unnamed objects in the Solar System. 2002 MS4 is large enough that astronomers consider it a possible dwarf planet.

The surface of 2002 MS4 is dark gray and is composed of water and carbon dioxide ices. 2002 MS4 has been observed through stellar occultations, which have revealed massive topographic features along the outline of its shape. These features include a mountain-like peak that is 25 km (16 mi) tall and a crater-like depression that is 320 km (200 mi) wide and 45 km (28 mi) deep. 2002 MS4's topographic features are among the tallest and deepest known for Solar System bodies.

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference MPC-object was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference jpldata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gladman2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Buie was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference horizons-ssb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference perihelion-2123 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Rommel2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Peng2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Thirouin2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Verbiscer2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cook2023-eposter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Tegler2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference AstDys was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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