38628 Huya
Encyclopedia
38628 Huya is a trans-Neptunian object
(TNO). It was discovered in March 2000 by Ignacio Ferrin and announced on 24 October 2000. It is classified as a plutino
being in a 2:3 mean motion resonance
with Neptune
. With a Spitzer
size estimate of , this plutino is also a likely dwarf-planet. It is expected to be spherical (trans-Neptunian object with a diameter above around 400 km). This is supported by light-curve-amplitude analysis, which shows only small deviations, suggesting that Huya is a spheroid with small albedo spots and hence a dwarf planet.
It was assigned the name Huya, after Juyá, the Wayuu
rain god, in August 2003 by the International Astronomical Union
(IAU).
. The Spitzer Space Telescope
has estimated Huya to be about 530 km in diameter with a low albedo of around 0.05.
The object has a red-sloped reflectance spectrum
in the visible and near-infrared, suggesting a surface rich in organic material such as tholin
s. There is a broad absorption feature near 2 μm possible belonging to water ice or some water-altered material. Additional absorption features may be present near 0.6–0.8 μm, which may be caused by aqueously altered anhydrous silicate
s.
from the Sun, and will come to perihelion
(q=28.52 AU) in 2015. This means that this dwarf-planet candidate is currently inside the orbit of the planet Neptune
. Like Pluto
, this plutino
spends part of its orbit closer to the Sun than Neptune even though their orbits are controlled by Neptune
. Huya will be closer to the Sun than Neptune until about July 2029. Simulations by the Deep Ecliptic Survey
(DES) show that over the next 10 million years Huya can acquire a perihelion distance (qmin) as small as 27.28 AU. Plutinos and get even closer to the Sun.
Given the long orbit that TNOs
have around the Sun, Huya comes to opposition in early May of each year at an apparent magnitude
of 19.3.
Huya has been observed 131 times with precovery
images back to 1996. The rotation period of Huya is unknown.
Trans-Neptunian object
A trans-Neptunian object is any minor planet in the Solar System that orbits the Sun at a greater distance on average than Neptune.The first trans-Neptunian object to be discovered was Pluto in 1930...
(TNO). It was discovered in March 2000 by Ignacio Ferrin and announced on 24 October 2000. It is classified as a plutino
Plutino
In astronomy, a plutino is a trans-Neptunian object in 2:3 mean motion resonance with Neptune. For every 2 orbits that a plutino makes, Neptune orbits 3 times. Plutinos are named after Pluto, which follows an orbit trapped in the same resonance, with the Italian diminutive suffix -ino...
being in a 2:3 mean motion resonance
Orbital resonance
In celestial mechanics, an orbital resonance occurs when two orbiting bodies exert a regular, periodic gravitational influence on each other, usually due to their orbital periods being related by a ratio of two small integers. Orbital resonances greatly enhance the mutual gravitational influence of...
with Neptune
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times...
. With a Spitzer
Spitzer Space Telescope
The Spitzer Space Telescope , formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility is an infrared space observatory launched in 2003...
size estimate of , this plutino is also a likely dwarf-planet. It is expected to be spherical (trans-Neptunian object with a diameter above around 400 km). This is supported by light-curve-amplitude analysis, which shows only small deviations, suggesting that Huya is a spheroid with small albedo spots and hence a dwarf planet.
It was assigned the name Huya, after Juyá, the Wayuu
Wayuu
Wayuu is an Amerindian ethnic group of the La Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela. They are part of the Maipurean language family.- Geography :...
rain god, in August 2003 by the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
(IAU).
Physical characteristics
At the time of its discovery, Huya was the biggest and brightest trans-Neptunian object found since Pluto. It was found using data collected by at the CIDA Observatory in VenezuelaVenezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. The Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer Space Telescope
The Spitzer Space Telescope , formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility is an infrared space observatory launched in 2003...
has estimated Huya to be about 530 km in diameter with a low albedo of around 0.05.
The object has a red-sloped reflectance spectrum
Spectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
in the visible and near-infrared, suggesting a surface rich in organic material such as tholin
Tholin
Tholin [after the ancient Greek word meaning "not clear"] is a heteropolymer molecule formed by solar ultraviolet irradiation of simple organic compounds such as methane or ethane. Tholins do not form naturally on modern-day Earth, but are found in great abundance on the surface of icy bodies in...
s. There is a broad absorption feature near 2 μm possible belonging to water ice or some water-altered material. Additional absorption features may be present near 0.6–0.8 μm, which may be caused by aqueously altered anhydrous silicate
Silicate
A silicate is a compound containing a silicon bearing anion. The great majority of silicates are oxides, but hexafluorosilicate and other anions are also included. This article focuses mainly on the Si-O anions. Silicates comprise the majority of the earth's crust, as well as the other...
s.
Orbit and rotation
Huya is currently 28.7 AUAstronomical unit
An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance....
from the Sun, and will come to perihelion
Apsis
An apsis , plural apsides , is the point of greatest or least distance of a body from one of the foci of its elliptical orbit. In modern celestial mechanics this focus is also the center of attraction, which is usually the center of mass of the system...
(q=28.52 AU) in 2015. This means that this dwarf-planet candidate is currently inside the orbit of the planet Neptune
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times...
. Like Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
, this plutino
Plutino
In astronomy, a plutino is a trans-Neptunian object in 2:3 mean motion resonance with Neptune. For every 2 orbits that a plutino makes, Neptune orbits 3 times. Plutinos are named after Pluto, which follows an orbit trapped in the same resonance, with the Italian diminutive suffix -ino...
spends part of its orbit closer to the Sun than Neptune even though their orbits are controlled by Neptune
Resonant trans-Neptunian object
In astronomy, a resonant trans-Neptunian object is a trans-Neptunian object in mean motion orbital resonance with Neptune. The orbital periods of the resonant objects are in a simple integer relations with the period of Neptune e.g. 1:2, 2:3 etc...
. Huya will be closer to the Sun than Neptune until about July 2029. Simulations by the Deep Ecliptic Survey
Deep Ecliptic Survey
The Deep Ecliptic Survey is a project to find Kuiper belt objects , using the facilities of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory .The principal investigator is Bob Millis....
(DES) show that over the next 10 million years Huya can acquire a perihelion distance (qmin) as small as 27.28 AU. Plutinos and get even closer to the Sun.
Trans-Neptunian object
A trans-Neptunian object is any minor planet in the Solar System that orbits the Sun at a greater distance on average than Neptune.The first trans-Neptunian object to be discovered was Pluto in 1930...
have around the Sun, Huya comes to opposition in early May of each year at an apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
of 19.3.
Huya has been observed 131 times with precovery
Precovery
Precovery is a term used in astronomy that describes the process of finding the image of an object in old archived images or photographic plates, for the purpose of calculating a more accurate orbit...
images back to 1996. The rotation period of Huya is unknown.