Quaoar
Sign in to saveQuaoar (minor-planet designation: 50000 Quaoar) is a ringed dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a band of icy planetesimals beyond Neptune. It has a slightly ellipsoidal shape with an average diameter of , about half the size of the dwarf planet Pluto. The object was discovered by American astronomers Chad Trujillo and Michael Brown at Palomar Observatory on 4 June 2002. Quaoar has a reddish surface made of crystalline water ice, tholins, and traces of frozen methane.
AI overview
Quaoar is a ringed dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune, discovered in 2002 by American astronomers Chad Trujillo and Michael Brown. At roughly half the size of Pluto with a reddish, icy surface, Quaoar helps scientists understand the composition and characteristics of distant icy bodies in our solar system's outer regions.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Planet.minorplanet
- yes
- Planet.name
- Quaoar
- Planet.symbol
- 24px|🝾 (mostly astrological)
- Planet.background
- Lavender
- Planet.image
- quaoar-weywot_hst.jpg
- Planet.caption
- Low-resolution Hubble Space Telescope image of Quaoar and its moon Weywot, February 2006
- Planet.discovery_site
- Palomar Observatory
- Planet.discovered
- 4 June 2002
- Planet.mpc_name
- (50000) Quaoar
- Planet.alt_names
- (provisional designation)
- Planet.pronounced
- ,
- Planet.named_after
- Qua-o-ar / Kwawar(deity of the Tongva people)
Article
19 sectionsContents
- History
- Discovery
- Name and symbol
- Orbit and classification
- Physical characteristics
- Size and shape
- Mass and density
- Surface
- Possible atmosphere
- Satellites
- Weywot
- Second moon
- Rings
- Discovery
- Properties
- Exploration
- Notes
- References
- External links
Quaoar (minor-planet designation: 50000 Quaoar) is a ringed dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a band of icy planetesimals beyond Neptune. It has a slightly ellipsoidal shape with an average diameter of , about half the size of the dwarf planet Pluto. The object was discovered by American astronomers Chad Trujillo and Michael Brown at Palomar Observatory on 4 June 2002. Quaoar has a reddish surface made of crystalline water ice, tholins, and traces of frozen methane.
Quaoar has two thin rings orbiting outside its Roche limit, which defies theoretical expectations that rings outside the Roche limit should be unstable. Quaoar has one moon named Weywot and another unnamed moon that has not yet been confirmed. It is believed that Quaoar's elongated shape, gravitational influence of its moons, and extremely cold temperature help keep its rings stable.
Gallery (17)
Connections
Categories
Astronomical objects discovered in 2002Binary trans-Neptunian objectsClassical Kuiper belt objectsCommons link from WikidataDiscoveries by Chad TrujilloDiscoveries by Michael E. BrownDwarf planetsMinor planet object articles (numbered)Named minor planetsNamed TNOsObjects observed by stellar occultationQuaoar