"TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region -- VII. Size and surface characteristics of (90377) Sedna and 2010 EK139

Abstract

We present estimates of the basic physical properties (size and albedo) of (90377) Sedna, a prominent member of the detached trans-Neptunian object population and the recently discovered scattered disk object 2010 EK139, based on the recent observations acquired with the Herschel Space Observatory, within the "TNOs are Cool!" key programme. Our modeling of the thermal measurements shows that both objects have larger albedos and smaller sizes than the previous expectations, thus their surfaces might be covered by ices in a significantly larger fraction. The derived diameter of Sedna and 2010 EK139 are 995 +/- 80 km and 470 +35/-10 km, while the respective geometric albedos are pV 0.32 +/- 0.06 and 0.25 +0.02/-0.05. These estimates are based on thermophysical model techniques.

Accepted for publication in A&A Letters, 4 pages

References in corpus (5)

• High Albedos of Low Inclination Classical Kuiper Belt Objects
• The Diverse Solar Phase Curves of Distant Icy Bodies. Part I: Photometric Observations of 18 Trans-Neptunian Objects, 7 Centaurs, and Nereid
• "TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region VI. Herschel/PACS observations and thermal modeling of 19 classical Kuiper belt objects
• Transneptunian objects and Centaurs from light curves
• Water Ice on the Satellite of Kuiper Belt Object 2003 EL61

Cited by in corpus (13)

• "TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region X. Analysis of classical Kuiper belt objects from Herschel and Spitzer observations
• The albedo-color diversity of transneptunian objects
• Producing Distant Planets by Mutual Scattering of Planetary Embryos
• "TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region XIV. Size/albedo characterization of the Haumea family observed with Herschel and Spitzer
• Stellar occultations enable milliarcsecond astrometry for Trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs
• Is There an Earth-like Planet in the Distant Kuiper Belt?
• TNOs are Cool: a survey of the Transneptunian Region XII. Thermal light curves of Haumea, 2003 VS2 and 2003 AZ84 with Herschel Space Observatory-PACS
• Can the gravitational effect of Planet X be detected in current-era tracking of the known major and minor planets?
• Analysis of Mission Opportunities to Sedna in 2029-2034
• Calibration of the angular momenta of the minor planets in the solar system
• One of Everything: The Breakthrough Listen Exotica Catalog
• JWST/NIRSpec Observations of Salacia-Actaea and Máni: Exploring Population-level Trends among Water-ice-rich Kuiper Belt Objects
• Tidal evolution of the eccentric moon around dwarf planet (225088) Gonggong