28978 Ixion
28978 Ixion is a Kuiper belt object discovered in 2001 with a diameter of approximately 1055 km and a semimajor axis of about 39.5 AU. Ixion is a Plutino: it has a 3:2 orbital resonance with Neptune.
| Orbital characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Orbit type | Plutino |
| Semimajor axis | 39.4851 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.2416 |
| Orbital period | 248 Years |
| Inclination | 19.627ð |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Diameter | 1055? km |
| Albedo | ? |
| History | |
| Discoverer | Deep Ecliptic Survey |
| Discovery Date | 2001-05-22 |
Little is known about Ixion. The latest spectroscopy results indicate that it has a surface that is a mixture of dark carbon and tholin, which is a heteropolymer formed by irradiation of clathrates of water and organic compounds (such as methane or ethane).
28978 Ixion is named after Ixion, a figure from Greek mythology. It previously had the systematic name 2001 KX76.
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