55565 Aya

(55565) Aya, temporary name 2002 AW₁₉₇, is a classical trans-Neptunian object from the Kuiper belt. It has a diameter of at least 700 kilometers ( i. e 430 miles). It is the largest planetoid without a moon. It was discovered at Palomar Observatory in 2002. It has a rotation period of 8.8 hours.

Discovery

Aya was discovered on 10 January 2002, by astronomers at the Palomar Observatory in California. Astronomers involved in the discovery were Michael Brown, Chad Trujillo, Eleanor Helin, Michael Hicks, Kenneth Lawrence and Steven H. Pravdo.

Orbit

Aya orbits the Sun at a distance of 40.9–53.2 AU once every 322.6 years. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13. It has an orbital inclination of 24°.

References

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