* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Asteroid 2008 KV42

Blobrana · L

Orbital elements:

2008 KV42
Epoch 2008 Nov. 30.0 TT = JDT 2454800.5                 MPC
M 325.47583              (2000.0)            P               Q
n   0.00356074     Peri.  132.93402     -0.05896633     +0.27130760
a  42.4725992      Node   260.88193     +0.35827023     +0.90399662
e   0.5075339      Incl.  103.34958     +0.93175394     -0.33042743
P 277              H    8.8           G   0.15           U   5

MPEC 2009 -C75

Blobrana · L

Orbiting at full tilt, 2008 KV42 has an angle of inclination of 104 degrees, taking a sideways path around the sun compared to that of the planets. Its the first object, aside from comets, found in the outer solar system that has such an inclined orbit. Any object that orbits at an angle greater than 90 degrees has a retrograde, or backwards, trajectory around the sun.

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Blobrana · L

The discovery team is currently performing follow-up observations of 2008 KV42 to pin down its orbit with greater precision. They will then begin unravelling the archaeological information trapped in the orbit of this highly exceptional member of the trans-Neptunian population.

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Blobrana · L

Halley's Comet, which lights up Earth's sky every 75 years with its glowing tail, is a bit of a scientific mystery.

So far, theories have been at a loss to explain how it acquired its extremely unusual backwards orbit but the recent discovery of another odd comet orbiting farther out in the solar system may shed light on Halley's origins.
The newly discovered comet, 2008 KV42, circles the sun at a tilt of 104 degrees compared to the main plane in which most of the planets and asteroids travel. The newfound oddball also orbits in reverse compared to almost everything else. Scientists think it might represent an intermediate point between comets like Halley's and their progenitors in the far and totally uncharted reaches of the solar system.

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Blobrana · L

Astronomers have spotted a surprising asteroid, whose unusual orbit may help explain where comets come from. The asteroid, currently named 2008 KV42, is orbiting the Sun backwards and almost perpendicular to the orbits of the planets - a 104 degree tilt. This odd orbit suggests that 2008 KV42 may have been pulled into our solar system from the Oort Cloud. Comets can originate in the Oort Cloud and this discovery may finally show how they transition from the Oort Cloud to become objects like Halley's Comet.
The orbits of asteroids in the region beyond Neptune's orbit provide important clues as to how the outer Solar System took form and evolved. Discoveries of new classes of objects have led to fresh insights into the early history of our solar system, challenging accepted theories. The discovery of 2008 KV42, the first-ever object in this region to be detected with a backwards (retrograde) orbit, promises to do just that.

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