Discovery of the Bright Trans-Neptunian Object 2000 EB173

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Ferrin, Ignacio, Rabinowitz, D, Schaefer, B, Snyder, J, Ellman, N, Vicente, B, Rengstorf, A, Depoy, D, Salim, S, Andrews, P, Bailyn, C, Baltay, C, Briceno, C, Coppi, P, Deng, M, Emmet, W, Oemler, A, Sabbey, C, Shin, J, Sofia, S, W van Altena, Vivas, K, Abad, C, Bongiovanni, A, Bruzual, G, F Della Prugna, Herrera, D, Magris, G, Mateu, J, Pacheco, R, Sanchez, Ge, Sanchez, Gu, Schenner, H, Stock, J, Vieira, K, Fuenmayor, F, Hernandez, J, Naranjo, O, Rosenzweig, P, Secco, C, Spavieri, G, Gebhard, M, Honeycutt, H, Mufson, S, Musser, J, Pravdo, S, Helin, E, Lawrence, K
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 28.11.2000
• Subjects: Confidence limits; Inclination; Photometry; Plutinos; Schmidt telescopes; Trans-Neptunian objects
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.0011527

We describe the discovery circumstances and photometric properties of 2000 EB173, now one of the brightest trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) with opposition magnitude m_R=18.9 and also one of the largest Plutinos, found with the drift-scanning camera of the QUEST Collaboration, attached to the 1-m Schmidt telescope of the National Observatory of Venezuela. We measure B-V = 0.99 +/- 0.14 and V-R = 0.57 +/- 0.05, a red color observed for many fainter TNOs. At our magnitude limit m_R = 20.1 +/- 0.20, our single detection reveals a sky density of 0.015 (+0.034, -0.012) TNOs per deg^2 (the error bars are 68% confidence limits), consistent with fainter surveys showing a cumulative number proportional to 10^0.5m_R. Assuming an inclination distribution of TNOs with FWHM exceeding 30 deg, it is likely that one hundred to several hundred objects brighter than m_R=20.1 remain to be discovered.