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2013 VZ₇₀ is a centaur on a horseshoe co-orbital configuration with Saturn. It was first observed on 1 November 2013 by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, United States. The discovery was announced on 23 August 2021.

2013 VZ₇₀ is the first minor planet ever discovered in a horseshoe orbit with respect to Saturn. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 8.3–10.0 AU once every 27 years and 8 months (10,102 days; semi-major axis of 9.15 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.09 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic. Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, assuming an albedo of 0.09, 2013 VZ₇₀ measures approximately 7.9 kilometers (4.9 miles) in diameter for an absolute magnitude of 13.74.

The object may have an origin among the trans-Neptunian population. However, an analysis of its orbit within the context of those of the known satellites of Saturn suggests that 2013 VZ₇₀ could be related to the Inuit group; on the other hand, the mutual nodal distances of 2013 VZ₇₀ and the moons Fornjot and Thrymr are below the first percentile of the distribution.

References

1. ^ "2013 VZ70". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
2. ^ "MPEC 2021-Q55 : 2013 VZ70". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
3. ^ Alexandersen, M.; Greenstreet, S.; Gladman, B.; Bannister, M.; Chen, Y.; Gwyn, S.; et al. (October 2020). The first known Saturnian Horseshoe Coorbital and the distribution of Temporary Coorbitals of the Giant Planets. Division of Planetary Science meeting #52. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. Bibcode:2020DPS....5220606A. 206.06. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
4. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2013 VZ70)" (2016-03-12 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
5. ^ "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
6. ^ Alexandersen, Mike; Greenstreet, Sarah; Gladman, Brett J.; Bannister, Michele T.; Chen, Ying-Tung; Gwyn, Stephen D. J.; Kavelaars, J.J.; Petit, Jean-Marc; Volk, Kathryn; Lehner, Matthew J.; Wang, Shiang-Yu (2021). "OSSOS. XXIII. 2013 VZ₇₀ and the Temporary Coorbitals of the Giant Planets". The Planetary Science Journal. 2 (1): 212. arXiv:2110.09627. Bibcode:2021PSJ.....2..212A. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ac1c6b. S2CID 238755438.
7. ^ de la Fuente Marcos, C.; de la Fuente Marcos, R. (10 January 2022). "Centaur 2013 VZ₇₀: Debris from Saturn's irregular moon population?". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 657 (1): A59 (10 pp). arXiv:2110.04264. Bibcode:2022A&A...657A..59D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202142166. S2CID 238856647.

External links

• 2013 VZ70 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

• Minor planet object articles (unnumbered)
• Centaurs (small Solar System bodies)
• Co-orbital minor planets
• Discoveries by OSSOS
• Saturn
• Horseshoe orbit
• Astronomical objects discovered in 2013