(15760) 1992 QB1

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The correct title of this article is (15760) 1992 QB₁. It features superscript or subscript characters that are substituted or omitted because of technical limitations.

**(15760) 1992 QB₁**
Discovery ^A

Discoverer	David C. Jewitt, Jane X. Luu
Discovery date	August 30, 1992
Alternate designations ^B	none
Category	Trans-Neptunian object</br>(cubewano)
Orbital elements ^C
Epoch August 18, 2005 (JD 2453600.5)
Eccentricity (e)	0.0654
Semi-major axis (a)	43.7339 AU
Perihelion (q)	40.8754 AU
Aphelion (Q)	46.5925 AU
Orbital period (P)	289.225 a
Mean orbital speed	4.4990 km/s
Inclination (i)	2.1927°
Longitude of the ascending node (Ω)	359.4575°
Argument of perihelion (ω)	2.1541°
Mean anomaly (M)	14.5829°
Physical characteristics ^D
Dimensions	435 km ^{[citation needed]}
Mass	?×10^? kg
Density	? g/cm³
Surface gravity	? m/s²
Escape velocity	? km/s
Rotation period	? d
Spectral class	?
Absolute magnitude	7.2
Albedo (geometric)	~ .07
Mean surface temperature	~? K

(15760) 1992 QB₁ (also written (15760) 1992 QB1) was the first trans-Neptunian object to be discovered after Pluto and Charon. It was discovered in 1992 and is now classified as a cubewano, an object in the main Kuiper Belt. The term cubewano derives from "Q B one oh".

(15760) 1992 QB₁ was discovered by David C. Jewitt and Jane X. Luu at the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii. The discoverers suggested the name "Smiley" for the object [1], but as there is already an asteroid named 1613 Smiley (named after an American astronomer) the name couldn't be used. The asteroid has received the number 15760, and remains unnamed; it is normally referred to simply as "QB1" (this is ambiguous, as it could refer to any of five other numbered asteroids —(5322) 1986 QB₁, (7026) 1993 QB₁, (31114) 1997 QB₁, (36447) 2000 QB₁, and (52468) 1995 QB₁— and a great number of unnumbered ones).

[edit] External links

The IAU circular announcing the discovery

Image:(253) mathilde.jpg

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