20000 Varuna
E79025
Kuiper Belt object
classical Kuiper Belt object
cubewano
large trans-Neptunian object
minor planet
non-resonant trans-Neptunian object
trans-Neptunian object
20000 Varuna is a large trans-Neptunian object in the Kuiper Belt, notable for its rapid rotation, elongated shape, and status as one of the earliest discovered significant bodies beyond Neptune.
Aliases (1)
- 2000 WR106 ×1
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Kuiper Belt object
→
classical Kuiper Belt object → cubewano → large trans-Neptunian object → minor planet → non-resonant trans-Neptunian object → trans-Neptunian object → |
| absoluteMagnitude |
~3.7
→
|
| albedo |
~0.07
→
|
| aphelionDistance |
~45.5 AU
→
|
| catalog |
Minor Planet Center database
→
|
| color |
moderately red
→
|
| diameter |
600–700 km
→
~650 km → |
| discoverer |
D. L. Rabinowitz
→
K. Rabinowitz → |
| discoveryDate |
2000-11-28
→
|
| discoveryMethod |
CCD imaging survey
→
|
| discoveryRank |
one of the first large trans-Neptunian objects found after Pluto and Charon
→
|
| discoverySite |
Kitt Peak National Observatory
→
Spacewatch → |
| dynamicalClass |
hot classical Kuiper Belt object
→
|
| eccentricity |
~0.056
→
|
| hasRings |
no confirmed rings
→
|
| hasSatellite |
no confirmed satellites
→
|
| inclination |
~17 degrees
→
|
| lightcurveAmplitude |
large
→
|
| lightcurveInterpretation |
highly elongated body or contact binary
→
|
| meanMotionResonance |
none with Neptune
→
|
| mpcNumber |
20000
→
|
| namedAfter |
Hindu deity Varuna
→
Varuna → |
| notableFor |
being one of the earliest discovered large Kuiper Belt objects
→
elongated shape → rapid rotation → |
| orbitalPeriod |
~283 years
→
|
| orbitalRegion |
Kuiper Belt
→
trans-Neptunian region → |
| orbits |
Sun
→
|
| perihelionDistance |
~40.7 AU
→
|
| provisionalDesignation |
2000 WR106
→
|
| rotationCharacteristic |
rapid rotation
→
|
| rotationPeriod |
~6.34 hours
→
|
| semiMajorAxis |
~43.1 AU
→
|
| shape |
elongated
→
|
| spectralType |
neutral to moderately red TNO spectrum
→
|
| status |
non-dwarf-planet
→
|
| surfaceComposition |
complex organics
→
water ice → |
Referenced by (3)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Kuiper Belt object
→
|
example |
|
Varuna
→
|
hasMinorPlanetDesignation |
|
20000 Varuna
("2000 WR106")
→
|
provisionalDesignation |