2002 RP120 was discovered by Brian Skiff on September 4th within the LONEOS project. It was magnitude 16.8 at discovery. It is apparently an asteroid with an extremely unusual orbit. Its semi-major axis is of 55AU and its period 418 years, although it is currently in the centre of the asteroid belt, moving slowly away from perihelion. With an orbital inclination of 111º, 2002 RP120 is almost certainly a comet of low activity. However, despite very detailed observation, no trace of cometary activity has yet been observed.
Perihelion was reached in early October 2002, but as the geocentric distance was decreasing through perihelion the object reached maximum late in the month. The aphelion distance of 2002 RP120 is approximately 108AU, well into what is termed the "scattered disk" although this is evidently not a classical scattered disk object as its orbit is almost perpendicular to the ecliptic plane.
The light curve
The light curve of 2002 RP120 shows a large amount of scatter, but
it appears that it can be fitted with a traditional asteroidal light curve.
In other words, there is no evidence of either a dust or a gas coma around
the object. The absolute magnitude is 12.2, which for a dark albedo of
5% would give a diameter of 22km.
Observations from:
Image: November 6th 2002
Image of 2002 RP120 taken with a 25.4-cm Schmidt Cassegrain at prime focus. Starlight Express MX916usb.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John Fletcher F.R.A.S.
jfmto@blueyonder.co.uk
Mount Tuffley Observatory. Code J93.
Latitude: North 51 degrees 48minutes
51.3 seconds.
Longitude: West 02 degrees 15minutes
26.6 seconds.
http://www.jfmto.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
Image: November 6th 2002
Second image of 2002 RP120 taken with a 25.4-cm Schmidt Cassegrain at prime focus. Starlight Express MX916usb.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John Fletcher F.R.A.S.
jfmto@blueyonder.co.uk
Mount Tuffley Observatory. Code J93.
Latitude: North 51 degrees 48minutes
51.3 seconds.
Longitude: West 02 degrees 15minutes
26.6 seconds.
http://www.jfmto.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
Última actualización 07/12/2002
Por M.R.Kidger