Vanth (moon)
Moon of 90482 Orcus / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Vanth (moon)?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Vanth (formal designation (90482) Orcus I; provisional designation S/2005 (90482) 1) is a natural satellite or moon of the large trans-Neptunian object 90482 Orcus. It was discovered by Michael Brown and Terry-Ann Suer using images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope on 13 November 2005. The moon has a diameter of 443 km (275 mi), making it about half the size of Orcus and the third-largest moon of a trans-Neptunian object. Vanth is massive enough that it shifts the barycenter of the Orcus–Vanth system outside of Orcus, forming a binary system in which the two bodies revolve around the barycenter, much like the Pluto–Charon system. It is hypothesized that both systems formed similarly, most likely by a giant impact early in the Solar System's history.[8] In contrast to Orcus, Vanth has a darker and slightly redder surface that apparently lacks exposed water ice, resembling primordial Kuiper belt objects.[11]: 2702
Discovery[1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by |
|
Discovery date | 13 November 2005 |
Designations | |
Designation | (90482) Orcus I[3]: 350 |
Pronunciation | /ˈvænθ/ |
S/2005 (90482) 1[4] | |
Adjectives | Vanthian |
Orbital characteristics[5]: 67 | |
Epoch 21.5 September 2006 (JD 2454000.0) | |
8999.8±9.1 km | |
Eccentricity | 0.00091±0.00053 |
9.539154±0.000020 d | |
Inclination | 105.03°±0.18° (to celestial equator) 90.54°±0.17° (to ecliptic)[lower-alpha 1] |
53.49°±0.33° | |
274.51°[lower-alpha 2] | |
Satellite of | Orcus |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 442.5±10.2 km (occultation)[6]: 663 475±75 km (thermal)[7]: 1 [8]: 2 |
Mass | (8.7±0.8)×1019 kg[8]: 4 |
Mean density | 1.9±0.3 g/cm3 (occultation)[lower-alpha 3] 1.5+1.0 −0.5 g/cm3 (thermal)[8]: 4 |
synchronous[9]: 6 [10] | |
Albedo | 0.08±0.02[7] |
Temperature | <44 K[6]: 663 |
Spectral type | moderately red[11]: 2702 V–I = 1.03±0.05[11]: 2702 |
21.8[12] | |
4.88±0.05[11]: 2702 | |