2018 VG18

"Farout" redirects here. Not to be confused with FarFarOut. For other uses, see Far Out (disambiguation).
2018 VG18
Discovery images of 2018 VG18
Discovery[1][2]
Discovered byS. S. Sheppard
D. Tholen
C. Trujillo
Discovery siteMauna Kea Obs.
Discovery date10 November 2018
Designations
2018 VG18
"Farout" (nickname)[3]
TNO[4] · SDO[5]
resonant (2:9)[6] · distant[2]
Orbital characteristics (barycentric)[7][4]
Epoch 25 February 2023 (JD 2460000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 6
Observation arc16.15 yr (5,900 d)
Earliest precovery date21 November 2003[2]
Aphelion124.897±0.043 AU
(occurs 2063)[8]
Perihelion38.358±0.030 AU
81.628±0.028 AU
Eccentricity0.5301±0.0004
737.01±0.38 yr
157.653°±0.473°
0° 0m 4.814s / day
Inclination24.292°±0.002°
245.325°±0.001°
≈ 1696[9]
±30 years
16.865°±0.171°
Physical characteristics
656 km (albedo 0.12)[10]
500 km (est.)[3]
24.6[11]
3.94±0.52[4]

2018 VG18 is a distant trans-Neptunian object (TNO) that was discovered when it was 123 AU (18 billion km; 11 billion mi) from the Sun, more than three times the average distance between the Sun and Pluto. It was discovered on 10 November 2018 by Scott Sheppard, David Tholen, and Chad Trujillo during their search for TNOs whose orbits might be gravitationally influenced by the hypothetical Planet Nine. They announced the discovery of 2018 VG18 on 17 December 2018 and nicknamed the object "Farout" to emphasize its distance from the Sun.

2018 VG18 is the second-most distant natural object ever observed in the Solar System, after 2018 AG37 (132 AU), which was also discovered by Sheppard's team in January 2018. As of 2024, 2018 VG18 is 123.6 AU (18 billion km) from the Sun and is moving farther away until it reaches aphelion in 2063.[8] While 2018 VG18 is one of the most distant Solar System objects known, its orbit is not the most distant since its average orbital distance from the Sun is 82 AU, which places it in the scattered disk and the 2:9 orbital resonance with Neptune. Little is known about 2018 VG18's physical properties other than its pink color, which indicates an ice-rich surface.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference MPEC-2018-Y14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference MPC-object was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Carnegie was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference jpldata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference MPC-CEN-SDO-list was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Buie-DES was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference horizons-ssb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Horizons2063 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ JPL Horizons Perihelion 1695 Observer Location: @sun (Perihelion occurs when deldot changes from negative to positive. Uncertainty in time of perihelion is 3-sigma.)
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brown-dplist was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference HORIZONS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).