174567 Varda

174567 Varda (provisional designation 2003 MW12) is a binary trans-Neptunian object of the resonant hot classical population of the Kuiper belt, located in the outermost region of the Solar System.[1] Its moon, Ilmarë, was discovered in 2009.[12]

174567 Varda
Hubble Space Telescope image of Varda and its satellite Ilmarë, taken in 2010 and 2011
Discovery [1][2][3]
Discovered byJ. A. Larsen
Discovery siteKitt Peak National Obs.
Discovery date21 June 2003
Designations
Designation
(174567) Varda
Pronunciation/ˈvɑːrdə/
Named after
Varda
(figure by J. R. R. Tolkien)[2]
2003 MW12
TNO [1] · cubewano [4]
detached [5] · distant [2]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc39.12 yr (14,290 d)
Earliest precovery date19 March 1980
Aphelion52.711 AU
Perihelion39.510 AU
46.110 AU
Eccentricity0.14315
313.12 yr (114,366 d)
275.208°
0° 0m 11.332s / day
Inclination21.511°
184.151°
180.072°
Known satellites1 (Ilmarë)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions790±15 × 790±15 × 723±14[lower-alpha 1][6]
Mean diameter
756 km[6]
722+82
−76 km[lower-alpha 2][7]
Flattening0.085 ± ?[6]
Massapprox. 90%[lower-alpha 3] of (2.664±0.064)×1020 kg[7]
Mean density
1.24+0.50
−0.35 g/cm3 (system)[8][lower-alpha 4]
0.015 g (at the poles)
0.012 g (at the equator)
5.61 h[7]
5.91 h[9][1]
Albedo0.102+0.024
−0.024[8]
0.166+0.043
−0.033[7]
Spectral type
IR (moderately red)[7]
B−V=0.886±0.025[7]
V–R=0.55±0.02[10]
V−I=1.156±0.029[7]
20.5[11]
3.097±0.060[7]
3.4[1]
3.61±0.05[8]

    Brown estimates that, with an absolute magnitude of 3.5 and a calculated diameter of approximately 700–800 kilometers (430–500 miles),[13][6] it is likely a dwarf planet.[14] However, Grundy et al. argue that objects such as Varda, in the size range of 400–1000 km, with albedos less than ≈0.2 and densities of ≈1.2 g/cm3 or less, have likely never compressed into fully solid bodies, let alone differentiated, and so are highly unlikely to be dwarf planets.[15]

    Discovery and orbit
    Polar and ecliptic view of the orbit of Varda.

    Varda was discovered in March 2006, using imagery dated from June 21, 2003 by Jeffrey A. Larsen with the Spacewatch telescope as part of a United States Naval Academy Trident Scholar project.[16]

    It orbits the Sun at a distance of 39.5–52.7 AU once every 313.1 years (over 114,000 days; semi-major axis of 46.1 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 21.5° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] As of November 2019, Varda is 47.5 AU from the Sun.[11] It will come to perihelion in April 2094.[1] It has been observed 321 times over 23 oppositions, with precovery images back to 1980.[1][2]

    Name

    Names for Varda and its moon were announced on 16 January 2014. Varda (Quenya: [ˈvarda]) is the queen of the Valar, creator of the stars, one of most powerful servants of almighty Eru Iluvatar in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional mythology. Ilmarë is a chief of the Maiar and Varda's handmaiden.[2]

    Satellite

    Varda has at least one satellite, Ilmarë (or Varda I), which was discovered in 2009. It is estimated to be about 350 km in diameter (about 50% that of its primary), constituting 8% of the system mass, or 2×1019 kg, assuming its density and albedo the same as that of Varda.[lower-alpha 3]

    The Varda–Ilmarë system is tightly bound, with a semimajor axis of 4809±39 km (about 12 Varda radii) and an orbital period of 5.75 days.

    Physical properties

    Based on its apparent brightness and assumed albedo, the estimated combined size of the Varda–Ilmarë system is 792+91
    −84     km    , with the size of the primary estimated at 722+82
    −76     km    .[7] The total mass of the binary system is approximately 2.66×1020 kg. The density of both the primary and the satellite is estimated at about 1.24 g/cm3 assuming that they have equal density.[8][7] On the other hand if the density or albedo of the satellite is lower than that of primary then the density of Varda will be higher up to 1.31 g/cm3.[7]

    On 10 September 2018, Varda's equatorial diameter was measured to be 790±15 km via a stellar occultation, with an oblateness of 0.085. The equivalent diameter is 756 km, consistent with previous measurements.[6]

    The surfaces of both the primary and the satellite appear to be red in the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum (spectral class IR), with Ilmarë being slightly redder than Varda. The spectrum of the system does not show water absorption but shows evidence of methanol ice. The rotation period of Varda is estimated at 5.61 hours.[7]

    See also

    Notes
    1. Polar dimension calculated by multiplying the measured equatorial diameter 790±15 km with the oblateness 0.085 obtained from the occultation in 2018.[6]
    2. Assuming equal albedos for the primary and the secondary
    3. Using Grundy et al.'s working diameters of 361 km and 163 km, and assuming the densities of the two bodies are equal, Varda would contribute 91.6% of the system mass.
    4. This would be density of both Varda and Ilmarë if they have equal albedos and equal densities

    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 174567 Varda (2003 MW12)" (2019-05-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
    2. "174567 Varda (2003 MW12)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
    3. "List Of Transneptunian Objects". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
    4. "MPEC 2009-P26 :Distant Minor Planets (2009 AUG. 17.0 TT)". Minor Planet Center. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
    5. Marc W. Buie. "Orbit Fit and Astrometric record for 174567". SwRI (Space Science Department). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
    6. Braga-Ribas, Felipe; Sicardy, Bruno; Assafin, Marcelo; Ortiz, José-Luis; Camargo, Julio; Desmars, Josselin; et al. (September 2019). The stellar occultation by the TNO (174567) Varda of September 10, 2018: size, shape and atmospheric constraints (PDF). EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019. 13. European Planetary Science Congress. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
    7. Grundy, W. M.; Porter, S. B.; Benecchi, S. D.; Roe, H. G.; Noll, K. S.; Trujillo, C. A.; et al. (September 2015). "The mutual orbit, mass, and density of the large transneptunian binary system Varda and Ilmarë". Icarus. 257: 130–138. arXiv:1505.00510. Bibcode:2015Icar..257..130G. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.04.036.
    8. Vilenius, E.; Kiss, C.; Mommert, M.; Müller, T.; Santos-Sanz, P.; Pal, A.; et al. (May 2012). ""TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region. VI. Herschel/PACS observations and thermal modeling of 19 classical Kuiper belt objects". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 541: 17. arXiv:1204.0697. Bibcode:2012A&A...541A..94V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201118743.
    9. Thirouin, A.; Noll, K. S.; Ortiz, J. L.; Morales, N. (September 2014). "Rotational properties of the binary and non-binary populations in the trans-Neptunian belt". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 569: 20. arXiv:1407.1214. Bibcode:2014A&A...569A...3T. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201423567.
    10. Tegler, S. C.; Romanishin, R. W.; Consolmalgo, J. S. (December 2016). "Two Color Populations of Kuiper Belt and Centaur Objects and the Smaller Orbital Inclinations of Red Centaur Objects". The Astronomical Journal. 152 (6): 13. Bibcode:2016AJ....152..210T. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/152/6/210.
    11. "AstDys (174567) 2003MW12 Ephemerides". Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
    12. Johnston, Wm. Robert (31 January 2015). "Asteroids with Satellites Database – (450894) 2008 BT18". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
    13. Ceravolo, D.; Ceravolo, P. (26 July 2019). "(174567) Varda, 2018 September 10 occultation". asteroidoccultation.com. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
    14. Brown, Michael E. "How many dwarf planets are there in the outer solar system?". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
    15. W.M. Grundy, K.S. Noll, M.W. Buie, S.D. Benecchi, D. Ragozzine & H.G. Roe, 'The Mutual Orbit, Mass, and Density of Transneptunian Binary Gǃkúnǁʼhòmdímà ((229762) 2007 UK126)', Icarus (forthcoming, available online 30 March 2019) Archived 7 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2018.12.037,
    16. Larsen, Jeffrey A.; Roe, Eric A.; Albert, C. Elise; et al. (2007). "The Search for Distant Objects in the Solar System Using Spacewatch". The Astronomical Journal. 133 (4): 1247–1270. Bibcode:2007AJ....133.1247L. doi:10.1086/511155.

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