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Post Info TOPIC: Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84)
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Plutino object (208996) 2003 AZ84
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Title: Study of the plutino object (208996) 2003 AZ84 from stellar occultations: size, shape and topographic features
Author: A. Dias-Oliveira, B. Sicardy, J. L. Ortiz, F. Braga-Ribas, R. Leiva, R. Vieira-Martins, G. Benedetti-Rossi, J. I. B. Camargo, M. Assafin, A. R. Gomes-Junior, T. Baug, T. Chandrasekhar, J. Desmars, R. Duffard, P. Santos-Sanz, Z. Ergang, S. Ganesh, Y. Ikari, P. Irawati, J. Jain, Z. Liying, A. Richichi, Q. Shengbang, R. Behrend, Z. Benkhaldoun, N. Brosch, A. Daassou, E. Frappa, A. Gal-Yam, R. Garcia-Lozano, M. Gillon, E. Jehin, S. Kaspi, A. Klotz, J. Lecacheux, P. Mahasena, J. Manfroid, I. Manulis, A. Maury, V. Mohan, N. Morales, E. Ofek, C. Rinner, A. Sharma, S. Sposetti, P. Tanga, A. Thirouin, F. Vachier, T. Widemann, A. Asai, Hayato Watanabe, Hiroyuki Watanabe, M. Owada, H. Yamamura, T. Hayamizu, J. Bradshaw, S. Kerr, H. Tomioka, S. Andersson, G. Dangl, T. Haymes, R. Naves, G Wortmann

We present results derived from four stellar occultations by the plutino object (208996) 2003~AZ84, detected at January 8, 2011 (single-chord event), February 3, 2012 (multi-chord), December 2, 2013 (single-chord) and November 15, 2014 (multi-chord). Our observations rule out an oblate spheroid solution for 2003~AZ84's shape. Instead, assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, we find that a Jacobi triaxial solution with semi axes (470±20) x (383±10) x (245±8) km % axis ratios b/a=0.82±0.05 and c/a=0.52±0.02, can better account for all our occultation observations. Combining these dimensions with the rotation period of the body (6.75~h) and the amplitude of its rotation light curve, we derive a density /rho=0.87±0.01g cm^-3 a geometric albedo pV=0.097±0.009. A grazing chord observed during the 2014 occultation reveals a topographic feature along 2003~AZ84's limb, that can be interpreted as an abrupt chasm of width ~23 km and depth >8 km or a smooth depression of width ~80 km and depth ~13 km (or an intermediate feature between those two extremes).

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RE: Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84)
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Kuiper Belt Object (208996) 2003 AZ84 is at Opposition (43.827 AU) on the 22nd January 2016.



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KBO 208996 (2003 AZ84)
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Kuiper Belt Object (208996) 2003 AZ84 is at Opposition (43.931 AU) on the 21st January 2015.

 Ephemeris

Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r     Elong.  Phase     Mag
2015 01 20    07 59 53.9 +09 59 04  43.9312 44.8994   169.6     0.2    20.3
2015 01 21    07 59 49.2 +09 59 16  43.9308 44.8991   169.6     0.2    20.3
2015 01 22    07 59 44.5 +09 59 29  43.9307 44.8988   169.5     0.2    20.3
2015 01 23    07 59 39.7 +09 59 42  43.9309 44.8985   169.3     0.2    20.3
2015 01 24    07 59 35.0 +09 59 55  43.9315 44.8982   169.0     0.2    20.3
2015 01 25    07 59 30.3 +10 00 09  43.9323 44.8980   168.7     0.2    20.3
2015 01 26    07 59 25.6 +10 00 23  43.9334 44.8977   168.2     0.3    20.3
2015 01 27    07 59 20.9 +10 00 37  43.9349 44.8974   167.7     0.3    20.3
2015 01 28    07 59 16.2 +10 00 51  43.9366 44.8971   167.1     0.3    20.3
2015 01 29    07 59 11.6 +10 01 05  43.9387 44.8969   166.5     0.3    20.3
2015 01 30    07 59 07.0 +10 01 20  43.9410 44.8966   165.8     0.3    20.3
2015 01 31    07 59 02.3 +10 01 34  43.9437 44.8963   165.1     0.3    20.4


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RE: Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84)
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Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84) is at Opposition (44.030 AU) on the 19th January, 2014



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KBO 208996 (2003 AZ84)
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Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84) is at Opposition (44.126 AU) on the 18th January, 2013



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RE: Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84)
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Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84) is at Opposition (44.218 AU) on the 17th January, 2012.



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Kuiper Belt Object (208996) 2003 AZ84, also written as 2003 AZ84, is a plutino, like Pluto, in a 2:3 resonance with Neptune. It is very likely a dwarf planet. It was discovered on January 13, 2003 by C. Trujillo and M. Brown using the Samuel Oschin telescope in the Palomar Observatory. Light-curve-amplitude analysis shows only small deviations, suggesting that 2003 AZ84 is a spheroid with small albedo spots and hence a dwarf planet.
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Google earth file: KBO (208996) 2003 AZ84.kmz (15kb, kmz)



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Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84) made its closest approach to the Earth (44.305 AU) on the 17th January, 2011.


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