20000 Varuna
20000 Varuna is a Kuiper Belt object about 1060 kilometers in diameter, estimated from a combination of thermal and optical measurements [1].
| Varuna | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Orbit type | Kuiper belt |
| Semimajor axis | 43.129 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.051 |
| Orbital period | 283 Years |
| Inclination | 17.2ð |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Diameter | 1060(+180/-220) km |
| Density | ~1 g/cm3 |
| Rotation period | 3.17 or 6.34 hours |
| Albedo | 0.038(+0.022/-0.010) |
| History | |
| Discoverer | R. S. McMillan (Spacewatch), 2000 |
Little is known about Varuna. It has a rotational period of approximately 3.17 hours (or 6.34 hours, depending on whether the light curve is single or double-peaked). It has a density of approximately 1 g/cm3 (as dense as water), which implies that it may not be a fully solid body [1].
It is named after the Hindu god Varuna. It previously had the systematic name 2000 WR106.
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