2021 LL37 is a large trans-Neptunian object in the scattered disc, around 600 kilometres (370 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 12 June 2021, by American astronomers Scott Sheppard and Chad Trujillo using Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory's Dark Energy Camera in Chile, and announced on 31 May 2022.[1] It was 73.9 astronomical units from the Sun when it was discovered, making it one of the most distant known Solar System objects from the Sun as of May 2022.[1][6] It has been identified in precovery images from as far back as 28 April 2014.[4]

2021 LL37
Discovery[1]
Discovered byS. S. Sheppard
C. Trujillo
Discovery siteCerro Tololo Obs.
Discovery date12 June 2021
Designations
2021 LL37
TNO[2] · SDO[3] · distant[4]
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 21 January 2022 (JD 2459600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 6
Observation arc7.95 yr (2,902 days)
Earliest precovery date28 April 2014
Aphelion75.752 AU
Perihelion35.884 AU
55.818 AU
Eccentricity0.3571
417 yr
213.123°
0° 0m 8.508s / day
Inclination9.950
345.422
48.715
Physical characteristics
500–700 km (est. 0.1–0.2)[5]
22.7[1]
3.96±0.31[2] · 4.09[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "MPEC 2022-K173 : 2021 LL37". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2021 LL37)" (2022-04-08 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  3. ^ "List Of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "2021 LL37". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Asteroid Size Estimator". Center for Near Earth Object Studies. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  6. ^ "JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris for 2021 LL37". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 31 May 2022. Ephemeris Type: VECTORS, Target Body: Asteroid (2021 LL37), Coordinate Origin: Sun (body center) [500@10], Time Span: Start=2021-06-12, Table Settings: quantities code=2p
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