(internally designated in the context of the
Hubble Space Telescope, and 7 in the context of the ''New Horizons'' mission) is a cold
classical Kuiper belt object (KBO) and was formerly a potential flyby target for the ''
New Horizons
''New Horizons'' is an Interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary space probe that was launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research ...
'' probe.
The object measures approximately in diameter.
Discovery and naming
was discovered by the
New Horizons KBO Search with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) because the object has a magnitude of 27.3, which is too faint to be observed by ground-based telescopes. Preliminary observations by the HST searching for
KBO flyby targets for the ''New Horizons'' probe started in June 2014, and more intensive observations continued in July and August. was first discovered in observations on June 24, 2014, during the preliminary observations, but it was designated 0720090F at the time,
nicknamed "7" for short.
Its existence as a potential target of the ''New Horizons'' probe was revealed by
NASA in October 2014,
but the official name was not assigned by the
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Function
...
(MPC) until March 2015 after better orbit information was available.
The parameters of the orbit have the extremely large uncertainty of 9 because follow-up observations after discovery eliminated as a potential target of the ''New Horizons'' probe, and no further follow-up observations were made.
Potential targets of the ''New Horizons'' mission
After having completed its flyby of
Pluto, the ''
New Horizons
''New Horizons'' is an Interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary space probe that was launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research ...
'' space probe was maneuvered for a flyby of at least one Kuiper belt object (KBO). Several targets were considered for the first such flyby. Potential target has a diameter between ,
which is smaller than the other potential targets of the ''New Horizons'' probe. A potential encounter initially looked more feasible for than for
486958 Arrokoth
Arrokoth (minor-planet designation 486958 Arrokoth; provisional designation ), formerly nicknamed Ultima Thule, is a trans-Neptunian object located in the Kuiper belt. Arrokoth became the farthest and most primitive object in the Solar System ...
, but follow-up observations eventually ruled out as a potential target.
The potential targets for the ''New Horizons'' probe were PT1 and PT3, the KBOs Arrokoth and , and the probe had sufficient fuel to maneuver to either PT1 or PT3. Potential target PT2, the KBO , was eliminated for consideration as a potential target.
On 28 August 2015, the ''New Horizons'' team announced the selection of Arrokoth as the next flyby target.
See also
*
List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft
The following tables list all minor planets and comets that have been visited by robotic spacecraft.
List of minor planets visited by spacecraft
A total of 17 minor planets ( asteroids, dwarf planets, and Kuiper belt objects) have been vis ...
*
List of missions to minor planets
*
List of ''New Horizons'' topics
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:2014 MT69
Kuiper belt objects
Minor planet object articles (unnumbered)
#
Discoveries by the Hubble Space Telescope
New Horizons
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