2014 PN70

2014 PN70
Discovery[1]
Discovered by Hubble Space Telescope
Discovery date August 6, 2014
Designations
MPC designation 2014 PN70
G12000JZ,[2] g1,[3] PT3[3]
Trans-Neptunian object (TNO)
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 5
Observation arc 271 days
Aphelion 46.382 AU (6.9386 Tm)
Perihelion 41.926 AU (6.2720 Tm)
44.154 AU (6.6053 Tm),[4] 44.3 AU[5]
Eccentricity 0.050457,[4] 0.068[5]
293.40 yr (107166 d)
4.5±1.5 km/s
275.15°
 0m 12.093s / day
Inclination 4.12164°,[4] 2.8°[5]
136.26°
236.55°
Earth MOID 40.9271 AU (6.12261 Tm)
Jupiter MOID 36.9738 AU (5.53120 Tm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 35–55 km (22–34 mi)[2]
50–120 km (31–75 mi)[6]
30–55 km (19–34 mi)[7]
0.04–0.10[2]
0.04–0.15[7]
26.4[2]
10.3[4]

    2014 PN70 (formerly labeled g12000JZ in the context of the Hubble Space Telescope, and g1 and PT3 in the context of the New Horizons mission) is a Kuiper belt object (KBO) and was a proposed flyby target for the New Horizons probe.[3]

    Discovery and naming

    2014 PN70 was discovered during an observation campaign intended to search for KBO flyby targets for the New Horizons probe.[8] The observations started in June 2014, and more intensive ones continued in July and August.[9] They were conducted with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); 2014 PN70's magnitude of 26.4 is too faint to be observed by ground-based telescopes. 2014 PN70 was first discovered in observations on August 6, 2014, and it was designated g12000JZ at the time, nicknamed g1 for short.[3][7] Its existence as a potential target of the New Horizons probe was revealed by NASA in October 2014[10][11] and it was designated PT3; its official name, 2014 PN70, was not assigned by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) until March 2015 after better orbit information was available.[3]

    Characteristics

    2014 PN70, has a diameter between 35–120 km (22–75 mi).[2]

    Exploration

    Having completed its flyby of Pluto, the New Horizons space probe will be maneuvered to a flyby of at least one Kuiper belt object (KBO). Several potential targets were under consideration. 2014 PN70 (PT3) was considered a second choice after 2014 MU69 (PT1), because more fuel was required to carry out a flyby. 2014 OS393 (PT2) was already no longer under consideration as a potential target.[12]

    On 28 August 2015, the New Horizons team announced the selection of 2014 MU69 as the next flyby target.[13]

    References

    1. "2014 PN70". Minor Planet Center. 2014-10-22.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lakdawalla, Emily (October 15, 2014). "Finally! New Horizons has a second target". Planetary Society blog. Planetary Society. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 Zangari, Amanda (March 28, 2015). "Postcards from Pluto". Tumblr.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2014 PN70)" (2014-10-22 last obs; arc: 77 days). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
    5. 1 2 3 Stern, Alan (August 2015). "OPAG: We Did It!" (PDF). Presentation to the Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Universities Space Research Association. p. 33.
    6. "ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE (H)". NASA.
    7. 1 2 3 Buie, Marc (October 15, 2014). "New Horizons HST KBO Search Results: Status Report" (PDF). Space Telescope Science Institute. p. 23.
    8. J. R. Spencer; M. W. Buie; et al. (2015). "The Successful Search for a Post-Pluto KBO Flyby Target for New Horizons Using the Hubble Space Telescope" (PDF). European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) Abstract. Copernicus Office.
    9. "Hubble to Proceed with Full Search for New Horizons Targets". HubbleSite news release. Space Telescope Science Institute. July 1, 2014.
    10. "NASA's Hubble Telescope Finds Potential Kuiper Belt Targets for New Horizons Pluto Mission". HubbleSite. 15 October 2014.
    11. Wall, Mike (October 15, 2014). "Hubble Telescope Spots Post-Pluto Targets for New Horizons Probe". Space.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.
    12. Powell, Corey S. (March 29, 2015). "Alan Stern on Pluto's Wonders, New Horizons' Lost Twin, and That Whole "Dwarf Planet" Thing". Discover.
    13. Cofield, Calla (28 August 2015). "Beyond Pluto: 2nd Target Chosen for New Horizons Probe". Space.com.
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