(148975) 2001 XA255

(148975) 2001 XA255, provisional designation: 2001 XA255, is a dark minor planet in the outer Solar System, classified as centaur, approximately 38 kilometers (24 miles) in diameter.[1] It was discovered on 9 December 2001, by David C. Jewitt, Scott S. Sheppard, and Jan Kleyna observing from the Mauna Kea Observatory.[6] The object is dynamically unstable and it entered the region of the giant planets relatively recently, perhaps 50,000 years ago, from the scattered disk.[5] The object has an estimated diameter of 12.5 km and it was classified as an inactive centaur by David Jewitt.[2] Observations by the NEOWISE mission gave a larger diameter of 37.7 kilometers and an albedo of 0.041.
Discovered byDavid C. JewittScott S. SheppardJan KleynaMPC designationCentaurOrbital characteristicsUncertainty parameterObservation arcAphelionPerihelionSemi-major axisEccentricityOrbital period (sidereal)Mean motionInclinationLongitude of ascending nodeArgument of perihelionPhysical characteristicsMean diameterGeometric albedoprovisional designationminor planetouter Solar SystemMauna Kea Observatorymean-motion resonanceNeptuneSaturnUranusscattered diskhorseshoe orbitDavid JewittNEOWISEalbedoabsolute magnitudeJPL Small-Body DatabaseJet Propulsion LaboratoryThe Astronomical JournalBibcodeMinor Planet Electronic CircularAstronomy and AstrophysicsSmall Solar System bodiesMinor planetsDesignationGroupsMeanings of namesAsteroidActiveAten asteroidAsteroid beltFamilyJupiter trojanNear-EarthSpectral typesDistant minor planetNeptune trojanDamocloidTrans-Neptunian objectDetachedKuiper beltOort cloudScattered discCometsExtinctHalley-typeHyperbolicLong-periodNear-parabolicPeriodicSungrazingCosmic dustMeteoroidsSpace debrisTrans-Neptunian objectsCubewanosScattered-disc objectsDetached objectsResonant objectsNeptune trojansPlutinosDwarf planetsCharonKerberosHaumeaNamakaHiʻiakaQuaoarWeywotMakemakeGonggongXiangliuDysnomiaSednoids90377 Sedna2012 VP113541132 Leleākūhonua