Discovered by J. A. Larsen MPC designation (174567) Varda Observation arc 12837 days (35.15 yr) | Discovery date 21 June 2003 Alternative names 2003 MW12 | |
Minor planet category TNO (cubewano)SCATEXTD | ||
174567 Varda /ˈvɑːrdə/ (Quenya: [ˈvarda]), provisional designation 2003 MW12, is a trans-Neptunian object with an absolute magnitude of 3.5. It is highly likely to be a dwarf planet.
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Discovery and orbit
174567 Varda was discovered in March, 2006, using imagery dated from June 21, 2003 by Jeffrey A. Larsen with the Spacewatch telescope as part of a United States Naval Academy Trident Scholar project.
It is currently 47.5 AU from the Sun, and will come to perihelion around November 2096. It has been observed 68 times over 14 oppositions with precovery images back to 1980.
Name
Names for Varda and its moon were announced on 16 January 2014. Varda is the queen of the Valar, creator of the stars, and principal goddess of the elves in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional mythology. Ilmarë is a chief of the Maiar and Varda's handmaiden.
Satellite
Varda has at least one satellite, Ilmarë /ˈɪlməriː/ (stress on the first syllable, Quenya: [ˈilmarɛ]), or Varda I, which was discovered in an image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope on 26 April 2009, and reported in 2011. It is estimated to be about 320–360 km in diameter (about 50% that of its primary). As of 2015 two mirror orbital solutions are possible with slightly different parameters.
Physical properties
The estimated combined size of the Varda–Ilmarë system is 7005792000000000000♠792+91
−84 km. The size of the primary is estimated at 7005705000000000000♠705+81
−75 km. The total mass of the system is about 2.66×1020 kg. The density of both the primary and the satellite is estimated at about 1.24 g/cm3 assuming that they have equal density.
The surfaces of both the primary and the satellite appear to be red in the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum (spectral class IR), with Ilmarë being slightly redder than Varda. The spectrum of the system does not show water absorption but shows evidence of methanol ice. The rotation period of Varda is estimated at 5.61 hours.