B Outer Solar System Origins Survey, Dwarf Planets and TNOs

AI Thread Summary
The Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS) has identified nearly 1,000 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) since its inception in 2013, utilizing the MegaPrime camera on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. A recent discovery, TNO 2015 RR245, has an orbital period of approximately 700 years and its perihelion is around 34 AU. The discussion highlights the ongoing research into dwarf planets, including notable ones like Pluto, Eris, and Haumea, which have varying characteristics and moons. There is anticipation for more data on TNOs and dwarf planets with the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and Gaia data releases. The community is particularly interested in determining how many of the newly discovered TNOs qualify as dwarf planets.
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"Nearly 1000 TNOs known to inhabit the outer Solar System have been discovered by OSSOS (or earlier CFEPS)." - OSSOS
http://www.ossos-survey.org/tnodb.html

"Started in February 2013, OSSOS is a four-year project using the MegaPrime camera, a 1x1 degree imager on the 3.6m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). The repeated tracking observations required to determine orbits are also obtained with the MegaPrime camera." - OSSOS
http://www.ossos-survey.org/about.html

Space.com has just published an announcement of a new TNO - 2015 RR245.
http://www.space.com/33387-dwarf-planet-discovery-2015-rr245.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_RR245

Not much information on 2015 RR245. Its orbital period is ~700 years. Perihelion ~34 AU (next ~ 2096), aphelion ~120 AU.

Back in 2011, Space.com published an article on Dwarf Planets.

Meet the Solar System's Dwarf Planets
http://www.space.com/12694-dwarf-planets-solar-system-tour-countdown.html
By Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer | October 26, 2011 02:00pm ET

In 2011, we had Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Makemake and Ceres

Caltech astronomer Mike Brown led the team that discovered Eris in 2005. The find spurred the IAU to strip Pluto of its planethood and create the "dwarf planet" category a year later.

Ceres is the only dwarf planet not found in the freezing cold, faraway Kuiper Belt.

Makemake is the second-brightest Kuiper Belt object (after Pluto)

Haumea has two known moons, Hi'iaka and Namaka

Eris has one known moon, Dysnomia

Pluto has four known moons: Charon, Nix, Hydra and a newly discovered tiny satellite currently called P4
By 2012, it was determined that Pluto has 5 moons: Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra.
Styx was discovered 2012/06/26.

Still a lot of research to be accomplished out there.
 
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Astronuc said:
Not much information on 2015 RR245. Its orbital period is ~700 years. Perihelion ~34 AU (next ~ 2096), aphelion ~120 AU.
This is about all the info I can find on RR245, http://cfht.hawaii.edu/en/news/NewDwarfPlanet/
When the LSST comes on line as well as the upcoming data dump from Gaia we will hopefully get an abundance of info on these KBO's
 
What fractions of these newly discovered TNO's are considered to be Dwarf Planets?
 

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