The world was astounded when it heard of an iceball orbiting the sun well beyond Pluto. Though part of the Kuiper Belt, 1996 TL66 is very different from its bretheren. Its orbit was highly eccentric with a semimajor axis, about twice as large as for typical members of the Belt. Its noteworthy large size--a diameter of about 500 kilometers--and spends most of its 1000-year orbital period well beyond our strongest telescopes. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 of these Plutinos, or "little Plutos,". 1996 TL66 is one of the biggest and brightest of a new class of KBO (Kuiper Belt Objects) so far.
Home | Main Page | The Kuiper Belt | Planet X | Oort Cloud | 1996 TL66 | Bibliography | Related Links
