2005 VX3
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Mount Lemmon Srvy. |
| Discovery site | Mount Lemmon Obs. (first observed only) |
| Discovery date | 1 November 2005 |
| Designations | |
| 2005 VX3 | |
| TNO · damocloid unusual · distant | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 81 days |
| Aphelion | 2124.24 AU |
| Perihelion | 4.1435 AU |
| 1064.19 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.9961 |
| 34,717 yr | |
| 0.2061° | |
| 0° 0m 0.101s / day | |
| Inclination | 112.69° |
| 255.11° | |
| 196.48° | |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.8405 AU |
| TJupiter | −0.968 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 7 km (est.) | |
| 0.09 (assumed) | |
| 14.1 | |
2005 VX3 is a trans-Neptunian object and retrograde damocloid on a highly eccentric, cometary-like orbit. It was first observed on 1 November 2005, by astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, United States. The unusual object measures approximately 7 kilometers (4 miles) in diameter. It has the 3rd largest known heliocentric semi-major axis and aphelion. Additionally its perihelion lies within the orbit of Jupiter, which means it also has the largest orbital eccentricity of any known minor planet.