28978 Ixion
| Discovery A | |
|---|---|
| Discoverer | Deep Ecliptic Survey |
| Discovery Date | 22 May 2001 |
| Alternate Designations | 2001 KX76 B |
| Category | Plutino |
| Orbital Elements C Epoch | |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.2416 |
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 39.4851 AU |
| Perihelion (q) | 30.0116 AU |
| Aphelion (Q) | 49.0904 AU |
| Orbital Period (P) | 248 years |
| Mean Orbital Speed | |
| Inclination (i) | 19.627° |
| Longitude of the Ascending Node (Ω) | 71.027° |
| Argument of Perihelion (ω) | 299.557° |
| Mean Anomaly (M) | |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Dimensions | <822 km diameter |
| Mass | |
| Density | |
| Surface Gravity | |
| Escape Velocity | |
| Rotation Period | |
| Spectral Class | |
| Absolute Magnitude | 3.244 |
| Albedo | 15% |
| Mean Surface Temperature | |
28978 Ixion (ik-sye'-un; Latin Ixīōn, Greek Ιξίων) is a Kuiper belt object discovered on May 22 2001 with a diameter of < 822 km and a semimajor axis of about 39.5 AU. Ixion is a Plutino, meaning it has a 3:2 orbital resonance with Neptune.
Little is known about Ixion. The latest spectroscopy results indicate that it has a surface that is a mixture of dark carbon and tholin, which is a heteropolymer formed by irradiation of clathrates of water and organic compounds (such as methane or ethane).
28978 Ixion is named after Ixion, a figure from Greek mythology. It previously had the provisional designation 2001 KX76.
Reference
- Pre-print about Ixion's surface from the Planetary Systems Research group of the University of Helsinki.
Categories: Trans-Neptunian objects