((229762) 2007 UK126 is a large trans-Neptunian object. 2007 UK126 is possibly the 10th largest TNO and 3rd largest scattered disc object (SDO) currently known.
Discovery
2007 UK126 is discovered on 19 Oct 2007 by Michael E. Brown, M. E. Schwamb and David Lincoln Rabinowitz at Palomar Observatory.
Stats
Estimated Diameter: 748 km (530 - 1190 km)
Aphelion: 110.3 AU
Perihelion: 37.68 AU
Semi-major axis: 74.15 AU
Orbital Period: 638.76 years
Rotation period: ?
Date discovered: 2007.10.19
Satellite: ?
Classification: TNO, Scattered Disc Object
Orbit
2007 UK126's eccentricity of 0.49 suggests that it was gravitationally scattered onto its eccentric orbit. 2007 UK126 will come to perihelion around 2046.
Dwarf-planet status
2007 UK126 has a bright absolute magnitude of 3.4. This qualifies it as one of the largest dwarf-planet candidates. Michael E. Brown lists it as a highly likely dwarf planet.
How big is it?
2007 UK126 is so far away in the outer solar system that we don't know for sure how large it is. Because all we see is a dot of light, which is sunlight reflected off the surface of the TNO. But we don't know if the object is bright because it is large or if it is bright because it is highly reflective or both.
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