174567 Varda
Hubble Space Telescope image of Varda and its satellite Ilmarë, taken in 2010 and 2011 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | J. A. Larsen |
| Discovery site | Kitt Peak National Obs. |
| Discovery date | 21 June 2003 |
| Designations | |
Designation | (174567) Varda |
| Pronunciation | /ˈvɑːrdə/ |
Named after | Varda (figure by J. R. R. Tolkien) |
| 2003 MW12 | |
| TNO · cubewano detached · distant | |
| Symbol | (astrological) |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 2 | |
| Observation arc | 39.12 yr (14,290 d) |
| Earliest precovery date | 19 March 1980 |
| Aphelion | 52.711 AU |
| Perihelion | 39.510 AU |
| 46.110 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.14315 |
| 313.12 yr (114,366 d) | |
| 275.208° | |
| 0° 0m 11.332s / day | |
| Inclination | 21.511° |
| 184.151° | |
| ≈ 1 November 2096 ±4 days | |
| 180.072° | |
| Known satellites | 1 (Ilmarë) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 740±14 km (area equivalent) 722+82 −76 km | |
| Flattening | 0.080±0.049 (for period of 11.82 h) or 0.235±0.050 (for period of 5.91 h) |
| Mass | (2.45±0.06)×1020 kg |
Mean density | 1.23±0.04 g/cm3 (for period of 11.82 h) 1.78±0.06 g/cm3 (for period of 5.61 h) |
| 5.61 h or 5.91 h (single-peaked) 11.82 h (double-peaked) | |
| Albedo | 0.099±0.002 (primary) 0.102+0.024 −0.024 |
Spectral type | IR (moderately red) B−V=0.886±0.025 V–R=0.55±0.02 V−I=1.156±0.029 |
| 20.5 | |
| 3.81±0.01 (primary) 3.097±0.060 3.4 | |
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174567 Varda (provisional designation 2003 MW12) is a binary trans-Neptunian planetoid of the resonant hot classical population of the Kuiper belt, located in the outermost region of the Solar System. Its moon, Ilmarë, was discovered in 2009.
Varda is a possible dwarf planet. Objects in the size range of 400–1000 km, such as Varda, with albedos less than ≈0.2 and densities of ≈1.2 g/cm3 or less, have likely never compressed into fully solid bodies, let alone differentiated, and so are highly unlikely to be dwarf planets. However, density calculations for Varda are ambiguous, and is not clear if Varda is above or below this estimated limit. Its low albedo is however consistent with a lack of the geological activity that would be expected of a dwarf planet.