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S/2005 ({{mp|2003 EL|61}}) 1 is one of the two [[Satellite]]s of {{mp|2003 EL|61}} |
S/2005 ({{mp|2003 EL|61}}) 1 is one of the two [[Satellite]]s of {{mp|2003 EL|61}} |
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[[Image:2003EL61moon1.jpg]] |
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==Discovery and Naming== |
==Discovery and Naming== |
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S/2005 (2003 EL61) 1 is one of the two Satellitesof2003 EL61
S/2005 (2003 EL61) 1 (provisional designation; nicknamed Rudolph by the Caltech team) is the first satellite discovered around 2003 EL61. It orbits 2003 EL61 once every 49.12 ±0.03 days at a distance of 49,500 ±400 km, with an eccentricity of 0.050 ±0.003 and an inclination of 234.8 ±0.3° [1]. Mutual occultations occurred in 1999 and will not occur again until 2138.
Measured brightness is 5.9 ±0.5% translating into the diameter about 22% of its primary, or in the range of 350 km, assuming similar albedo. To put this in perspective, this moon would be the fifth largest asteroid after 1 Ceres, 2 Pallas, 4 Vesta, and 10 Hygiea if it were in the asteroid belt.
Only the total mass of the system is known, but assuming the moon has the same density and albedo as the primary, their magnitude difference (3.3) can be used to estimate the mass of the satellite as 1% of the mass of 2003 EL61.
