 Orbit ofTyrannosaurus (blue), with theinner planets andJupiter (outermost) | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. W. Elst |
| Discovery site | La Silla Obs. |
| Discovery date | 15 November 1990 |
| Designations | |
| (9951) Tyrannosaurus | |
| Pronunciation | /tɪˌrænəˈsɔːrəs/[2] |
Named after | Tyrannosaurus (theropod dinosaur)[3] |
| 1990 VK5 · 1974 OG1 1992 EZ5 | |
| main-belt · (inner) Vesta[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 42.53 yr (15,534 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.7243AU |
| Perihelion | 2.1283 AU |
| 2.4263 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1228 |
| 3.78yr (1,380 days) | |
| 155.31° | |
| 0° 15m 38.88s / day | |
| Inclination | 7.4000° |
| 133.42° | |
| 153.36° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 17 km[5] |
| S[6] | |
| 14.2[1] | |
9951 Tyrannosaurus, provisional designation1990 VK5, is a stony Vestianasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 17 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 November 1990, by Belgian astronomerEric Elst at ESO'sLa Silla Observatory in northern Chile.[7] It was named afterTyrannosaurus, a genus ofdinosaurs.[3]
Based on theHierarchical Clustering Method,Tyrannosaurus is a member of theVesta family (401),[4] which is named after its parent4 Vesta, the main belt'ssecond-largest andsecond-most-massive body afterCeres.
Tyrannosaurus orbits the Sun in theinner main-belt at a distance of 2.1–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,380 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.12 and aninclination of 7° with respect to theecliptic.[1] It was first identified as1974 OG1 atEl Leoncito in 1974, extending the body'sobservation arc by 16 years prior to its official discovery observation at La Silla.[7]
Tyrannosaurus has been characterized as a commonS-type asteroid.[6] The overall spectral type for members of the Vesta family is that of aV-type.[8]: 23 Vestian asteroids have a composition akin to cumulateeucrites (HED meteorites) and are thought to have originated deep within4 Vesta's crust, possibly from theRheasilvia crater, a largeimpact crater on its southern hemisphere near the South pole, formed as a result of a subcatastrophic collision.[9]
According to the survey carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS,Tyrannosaurus measures 17 kilometers in diameter.[5] Spectroscopic observations indicate that it is a stonyS-type asteroid, the most abundantspectral class of asteroids in the inner main-belt.[6] It has anabsolute magnitude of 14.2.[1]
As of 2017, no rotationallightcurve ofTyrannosaurus has been obtained. The asteroid'srotation period, poles and shape remain unknown.[10]
Thisminor planet was named forTyrannosaurus, a large and heavy bipedalcarnivorous dinosaur, that lived in the uppercretaceous. It was one of the most terrifying predators, with a large skull, massive jaws and sharp teeth. Adult individuals were 12 meters long and 4–7 meters high. Tyrannosaurus rex is the best known species of this genus.[3] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 20 November 2002 (M.P.C. 47166).[11]
