Varuna
E81704
Kuiper Belt object
celestial body
cubewano
dwarf planet candidate
minor planet
trans-Neptunian object
Varuna is a large, rapidly rotating trans-Neptunian object in the Kuiper Belt, notable for its elongated shape and classification as a likely dwarf-planet candidate.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Kuiper Belt object
ⓘ
celestial body ⓘ cubewano ⓘ dwarf planet candidate ⓘ minor planet ⓘ trans-Neptunian object ⓘ |
| aphelionDistance | approximately 46 AU ⓘ |
| belongsToPopulation | hot classical Kuiper Belt population ⓘ |
| cataloguedIn | Minor Planet Center database ⓘ |
| discoveredBy |
A. H. B. Whipple
ⓘ
K. Sarneczky ⓘ R. S. McMillan ⓘ |
| discoveryDate | 2000-11-28 ⓘ |
| hasAbsoluteMagnitude | approximately 3.7 ⓘ |
| hasDensity | low ⓘ |
| hasEccentricity | approximately 0.06 ⓘ |
| hasEstimatedAlbedo | approximately 0.07 ⓘ |
| hasEstimatedDiameter | approximately 650–700 km ⓘ |
| hasInclination | approximately 17 degrees ⓘ |
| hasLightcurveAmplitude | large ⓘ |
| hasMeanDistanceFromSun | approximately 43 AU ⓘ |
| hasMinorPlanetDesignation | 20000 Varuna ⓘ |
| hasNoKnownMoons | true ⓘ |
| hasNumbering | 20000 ⓘ |
| hasOrbitalClass |
classical Kuiper Belt object
ⓘ
non-resonant Kuiper Belt object ⓘ |
| hasOrbitalPeriod | approximately 283 years ⓘ |
| hasProvisionalDesignation | 2000 WR106 ⓘ |
| hasRotationPeriod | approximately 6.34 hours ⓘ |
| hasRotationState | near breakup limit ⓘ |
| hasSemiMajorAxis | approximately 43 AU ⓘ |
| hasShape |
elongated
ⓘ
triaxial ellipsoid ⓘ |
| hasSpectralType | moderately red TNO spectrum ⓘ |
| hasSurfaceColor | moderately red ⓘ |
| hasSurfaceFeature | water ice absorption bands (spectral) ⓘ |
| isDwarfPlanetCandidate | true ⓘ |
| isInHydrostaticEquilibriumCandidate | true ⓘ |
| isRapidlyRotating | true ⓘ |
| lightcurveIndicates | elongated shape ⓘ |
| likelyComposition | mixture of ice and rock ⓘ |
| locatedBeyond | Neptune ⓘ |
| locatedIn | Kuiper Belt ⓘ |
| namedAfter |
Hindu god Varuna
ⓘ
Varuna ⓘ
surface form:
Varuna (Vedic deity)
|
| orbits | Sun ⓘ |
| perihelionDistance | approximately 40 AU ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
Kuiper Belt object