 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Discovery Of A Satellite Around The Transneptunian Object 1998 WW31
Paris - May 8, 2001 Alain Doressoundiram from the Observatoire de Paris and Christian Veillet from the CFH Institute have confirmed the discovery of the second transneptunian (Kuiper Belt) object 1998 WW31 is a double object. It is during their multi-color photometry and recovery of transneptunian objects program that they made this discovery. This program is carried out on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope of 3.6 m located at 4200m on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. In December 2000, they pointed the telescope at 1998 WW31, a transneptunian object which required additional observation, without which they would have lost its position. Its double nature or its elongated shape did not appear to them immediately at the time of the observations, but only later during the meticulous analysis of the data. The transneptunian objects are small bodies of the Solar system located beyond the orbit of Neptune, at more than 30 astronomical units from the Sun (1 astronomical unit = distance Sun-Earth). They are icy bodies, very primitive as fossil remnants of the formation of the Solar system, 4.6 billion years ago. The study of these objects, discovered for the first time less than ten years ago, is currently in full development. It can provide invaluable indices on the composition of the primitive nebula and on the processes prevailing at the beginning of the Solar system. Moreover, the knowledge of the physical properties of the transneptunian objects could be a significant step in the study of circumstellar discs and planet formation around other stars that the Sun. 1998 WW31 like all the objects of the Solar system moves relative to fixed stars of the field. It is a weak object of 23.6 in magnitude and distant by 45.6 astronomical units from the Earth. 1998 WW31 appears undoubtedly double. The exceptional quality of the Mauna Kea site allowed the resolution of the pair (1.2 seconds of arc). With only the images, two alternative interpretations were possible:
It is the second alternative, much more probable than the first, which proved to be right. Indeed, the CFHT archive images of January 7 2000, made it possible to find 1998 WW31. But the orientation of the pair, as well as the separation between the two components had changed: 1998 WW31 is actually a twin! Veillet C, Doressoundiram A., Shapiro J, 2001, IAU Circular num. 7610 Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Observatoire de Paris SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Space
Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
