-- (50000) Quaoar and Weywot --discovery and notes:

Primary discovered 2002 Jun 04 from Palomar Observatory, California, USA by C. A. Trujillo and M. E. Brown. Alternate designation(s): 2002 LM60 . Linked to prediscovery observations from 1954 May 25. Permanent number assigned 2002 Nov 20.

Named 2002 Nov 20 for the Tongva mythological god [MPC047170].

Second component discovered 2006 Feb 14 by M. E. Brown and T.-A. Suer using Hubble Space Telescope observations from Hubble Space Telescope. Announced 2007 Feb 22 [B07d]. Permanent designation I Weywot, assigned 2009 Nov 11; named for the mythological Tongva god of the sky [G09b].

Third component discovered 2025 Jun 25 by R. Nolthenius, K. Bender, D. V. Cotton, B. C. N. Proudfoot, and J. Irwin using stellar occultation observations from Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy Oliver Observing Station, California, USA. Announced 2025 Aug [N25e].

--Links, more technical:

• IAUC 8812.
• IAUC 9094.

--Links, less technical:

--Links to ADS abstracts:

• Davis, Allen B., Pasachoff, J. M., Babcock, B. A., Person, M. J., Zuluaga, C. A., Bosh, A. S., Levine, S., Naranjo, O. A., Navas, G. R., Gulbis, A., Winters, J. G., & Bianco, F. 2014, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts Observation and Analysis of a Single-Chord Stellar Occultation by Kuiper Belt Object (50000) Quaoar
• Fraser, Wesley, Gwyn, S., Trujillo, C., Brown, M. E., Kavelaars, J., Stephens, A., & Gimeno, G. 2013, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts Predicting Occultations by Kuiper Belt Objects
• Young, Leslie & McKinnon, W. B. 2013, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts Atmospheres on Volatile-Bearing Kuiper Belt Objects
• Pasachoff, Jay M., Babcock, B. A., Davis, A. B., Pandey, S., Lu, M., Rogosinski, Z., Person, M. J., Bosh, A. S., Zangari, A. M., Zuluaga, C. A., Gulbis, A. S., Naranjo, O., Navas, G., Zerpa, L., Villarreal, J., Rojo, P., Förster, F., & Servajean, E. 2013, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts Recent KBO (Pluto/Charon and beyond, including Quaoar) Occultation Observations by the Williams College Team as part of the Williams-MIT Collaboration
• Fraser, Wesley C., Trujillo, Chad, Stephens, Andrew W., Gimeno, German, Brown, Michael E., Gwyn, Stephen, & Kavelaars, J. J. 2013, The Astrophysical Journal Limits on Quaoar's Atmosphere
• Fraser, Wesley C., Gwyn, Stephen, Trujillo, Chad, Stephens, Andrew W., Kavelaars, J. J., Brown, Michael E., Bianco, Federica B., Boyle, Richard P., Brucker, Melissa J., Hetherington, Nathan, Joner, Michael, Keel, William C., Langill, Phil P., Lister, Tim, McMillan, Russet J., & Young, Leslie 2013, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Kuiper Belt Occultation Predictions
• Braga-Ribas, F., Sicardy, B., Ortiz, J. L., Lellouch, E., Tancredi, G., Lecacheux, J., Vieira-Martins, R., Camargo, J. I. B., Assafin, M., Behrend, R., Vachier, F., Colas, F., Morales, N., Maury, A., Emilio, M., Amorim, A., Unda-Sanzana, E., Roland, S., Bruzzone, S., Almeida, L. A., Rodrigues, C. V., Jacques, C., Gil-Hutton, R., Vanzi, L., Milone, A. C., Schoenell, W., Salvo, R., Almenares, L., Jehin, E., Manfroid, J., Sposetti, S., Tanga, P., Klotz, A., Frappa, E., Cacella, P., Colque, J. P., Neves, C., Alvarez, E. M., Gillon, M., Pimentel, E., Giacchini, B., Roques, F., Widemann, T., Magalhães, V. S., Thirouin, A., Duffard, R., Leiva, R., Toledo, I., Capeche, J., Beisker, W., Pollock, J., Cedeño Montaña, C. E., Ivarsen, K., Reichart, D., Haislip, J., & Lacluyze, A. 2013, The Astrophysical Journal The Size, Shape, Albedo, Density, and Atmospheric Limit of Transneptunian Object (50000) Quaoar from Multi-chord Stellar Occultations
• Fornasier, S., Lellouch, E., Müller, T., Santos-Sanz, P., Panuzzo, P., Kiss, C., Lim, T., Mommert, M., Bockelée-Morvan, D., Vilenius, E., Stansberry, J., Tozzi, G. P., Mottola, S., Delsanti, A., Crovisier, J., Duffard, R., Henry, F., Lacerda, P., Barucci, A., & Gicquel, A. 2013, Astronomy and Astrophysics TNOs are Cool: A survey of the trans-Neptunian region. VIII. Combined Herschel PACS and SPIRE observations of nine bright targets at 70-500 μm
• Fraser, Wesley C., Batygin, Konstantin, Brown, Michael E., & Bouchez, Antonin 2013, Icarus The mass, orbit, and tidal evolution of the Quaoar-Weywot system
• Jones, B. M., Bennett, C., Gu, X., & Kaiser, R. I. 2012, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts Formation of High Mass Hydrocarbons on Kuiper Belt Objects
• Jones, Brant M., Bennett, C., Gu, X., & Kaiser, R. 2012, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts Formation of High Mass Hydrocarbons on Kuiper Belt Objects
• Braga Ribas, Felipe, Sicardy, B., Ortiz, J. L., Duffard, R., Camargo, J. I. B., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Vachier, F., Tanga, P., Sposetti, S., Brosch, N., Kaspi, S., Manulis, I., Baug, T., Chandrasekhar, T., Ganesh, S., Jain, J., Mohan, V., Sharma, A., Garcia-Lozano, R., Klotz, A., Frappa, E., Jehin, E., Assafin, M., Vieira Martins, R., Behrend, R., Roques, F., Widemann, T., Morales, N., Thirouin, A., Mahasena, P., Benkhaldoun, Z., Daassou, A., Rinner, C., & Ofek, E. O. 2012, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts Stellar Occultations by Large TNOs on 2012: The February 3rd by (208996) 2003 AZ84, and the February 17th by (50000) Quaoar
• Vachier, Frederic, Berthier, J., & Marchis, F. 2012, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts Determination of Multiple Asteroid Orbits With a Genetic-Based Algorithm
• Vachier, F., Berthier, J., & Marchis, F. 2012, Astronomy and Astrophysics Determination of binary asteroid orbits with a genetic-based algorithm
• Fraser, Wesley, Brown, M. E., Batygin, K., & Bouchez, A. 2012, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #220 Tidal Evolution of the Quaoar-Weywot System
• Assafin, M., Camargo, J. I. B., Vieira Martins, R., Braga-Ribas, F., Sicardy, B., Andrei, A. H., & da Silva Neto, D. N. 2012, Astronomy and Astrophysics Candidate stellar occultations by large trans-Neptunian objects up to 2015
• Fornasier, S., Lellouch, E., Mueller, T., Panuzzo, P., Santos-Sanz, P., Lim, T., Kiss, C., Vilenius, E., Stansberry, J., Delsanti, A., Henry, F., Boehnhardt, H., Pal, A., Duffard, R., & Barucci, A. 2012, EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts 'TNOs are Cool: A survey of the trans-Neptunian region'. Results from the PACS and SPIRE observations with the Herschel Space Observatory
• Butler, B. J., Gurwell, M. A., & Moullet, A. 2011, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 EVLA Observations of Pluto, Charon, Makemake, Quaoar, and 2002 TC302 at 0.9 cm Wavelength
• Beisker, W., Assafin, M., Braga-Ribas, F., Widemann, T., Sicardy, B., Bath, K.-L., Bode, H.-J., Tegtmeyer, A., Schnabel, C., Casas, R., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Kowollik, S., Bredner, E., Heidmann, C. P., Gaehrken, B., Dähne, M., Denzau, H., Mommert, M., Guenther, E., Stecklum, B., Rengel, M., Mugrauer, M., Vilenius, E., Herald, D., Farago, O., Eberle, A., Rutten, H., Behrend, R., & Mottola, S. 2011, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 Observations of Stellar Occultations by Dwarf Planets and TNOs - International Campaigns
• Kiss, C., Pál, A., Müller, T., Santos-Sanz, P., Vilenius, E., Szalai, N., Lellouch, E., & Bönhardt, H. 2011, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 Sedna, Eris and Quaoar: physical properties of prominent trans-Neptunian objects, based on Herschel observations
• Braga-Ribas, F., Sicardy, B., Ortiz, J. L., Jehin, E., Camargo, J. I. B., Assafin, M., Behrend, R., Unda-Sanzana, E., Colque, J. P., Morales, N., Tancredi, G., Roland, S., Bruzzone, S., Salvo, R., Almenares, L., Emilio, M., Schoenell, W., Gil-Hutton, R., Milone, A., Jacques, C., Vanzi, L., Kavelaars, J. J., Cacella, P., Maury, A., Alvarez, E., van der Bliek, N. S., Vieira-Martins, R., Colas, F., Lecacheux, J., Vachier, F., Roques, F., Widemann, T., Thirouin, A., Gillon, M., Manfroid, J., Bergengruen, A., Martinez, M., Capeche, J., Amorim, A., Pimentel, E., Leiva, R., Toledo, I., Almeida, L. A., Magalhães, V. S., Montaña, C. E., & Rodrigues, C. V. 2011, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 Stellar Occultations by TNOs: the January 08, 2011 by (208996) 2003 AZ84 and the May 04, 2011 by (50000) Quaoar
• Brown, M. E., Burgasser, A. J., & Fraser, W. C. 2011, The Astrophysical Journal The Surface Composition of Large Kuiper Belt Object 2007 OR10
• Levi, Amit & Podolak, Morris 2011, Icarus Estimating the density of intermediate size KBOs from considerations of volatile retention
• Sallum, Stephanie, Brothers, T., Elliot, J. L., Person, M. J., Bosh, A. S., Zangari, A., Zuluaga, C., Levine, S., Bright, L., Sheppard, S., & Tilleman, T. 2011, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society First Observations of a Stellar Occultation by KBO (50000) Quaoar from MIT's George R. Wallace, Jr., Astrophysical Observatory
• Person, Michael J., Elliot, J. L., Bosh, A. S., Zangari, A., Zuluaga, C., Brothers, T., Sallum, S., Levine, S., Bright, L., Sheppard, S., & Tilleman, T. 2011, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Constraints On The Size Of KBO (50000) Quaoar From A Single-chord Stellar Occultation
• Butler, Bryan J., Gurwell, M. A., & Moullet, A. 2011, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society EVLA Observations of the Largest TNOs
• McGranaghan, R., Sagan, B., Dove, G., Tullos, A., Lyne, J. E., & Emery, J. P. 2011, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society A Survey of Mission Opportunities to Trans-Neptunian Objects
• Zangari, Amanda, Zuluaga, C. A., Gulbis, A. A. S., Elliot, J. L., Person, M. J., & Bosh, A. S. 2010, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #42 Potential KBO Stellar Occultations: 2011-2015
• Butler, Bryan J., Gurwell, M. A., & Moullet, A. 2010, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society EVLA Observations of the Largest TNOs
• Fraser, Wesley C. & Brown, Michael E. 2010, The Astrophysical Journal Quaoar: A Rock in the Kuiper Belt
• Pilling, Sergio, Seperuelo Duarte, Eduardo, da Silveira, Enio F., Domaracka, Alicja, Balanzat, Emmanuel, Rothard, Hermann, & Boduch, Philippe 2010, 38th COSPAR Scientific Assembly Processing of ammonia-containing ices by heavy ions and its relevance to outer Solar System surfaces
• Green, D. W. E. 2009, International Astronomical Union Circular (50000) Quaoar I
• Moore, Marla H., Hudson, R. L., & Raines, L. 2009, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #41 Laboratory Studies of Ethane Ice Relevant to Outer Solar System Surfaces
• Fraser, Wesley & Brown, M. E. 2009, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #41 Quaoar: A Rock in the Kuiper Belt
• Moullet, Arielle, Lellouch, E., Moreno, R., & Gurwell, M. 2009, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #41 Observing Kuiper Belt Objects With Alma: Detection And Imaging Simulations
• Dalle Ore, C. Morea, Barucci, M. A., Emery, J. P., Cruikshank, D. P., Dalle Ore, L. V., Merlin, F., Alvarez-Candal, A., de Bergh, C., Trilling, D. E., Perna, D., Fornasier, S., Mastrapa, R. M. E., & Dotto, E. 2009, Astronomy and Astrophysics Composition of KBO (50000) Quaoar
• Guilbert, Aurélie, Alvarez-Candal, Alvaro, Merlin, Frédéric, Barucci, Maria Antonietta, Dumas, Christophe, de Bergh, Catherine, & Delsanti, Audrey 2009, Icarus ESO-Large Program on TNOs: Near-infrared spectroscopy with SINFONI
• Dalle Ore, Cristina M., Barucci, M. A., Emery, J. P., Cruikshank, D. P., Dalle Ore, L. V., Merlin, F., Alvarez-Candal, A., de Bergh, C., Perna, D., Fornasier, S., Mastrapa, R. M. E., & Dotto, E. 2009, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #214 Composition of KBO (50000) Quaoar
• Assafin, M., Vieira Martins, R., Ribas, F. B., Camargo, J. I., da Silva Neto, D. N., & Andrei, A. H. 2008, European Planetary Science Congress 2008 Astrometric predictions of stellar occultations by Pluto, Charon, Triton and TNOs
• Fama, Marcelo A., Loeffler, M. J., Raut, U., & Baragiola, R. A. 2008, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Radiation-Induced Amorphization of Crystalline Ice
• Schaefer, Bradley E., Rabinowitz, D. L., & Tourtellottte, S. W. 2008, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Division of Icy Bodies into Groups Based on Surface Properties
• Widemann, Thomas, Sicardy, B., & Lellouch, E. 2008, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Upper Limits for a Titania's Atmosphere and for a Large KBO's Atmosphere From Stellar Occultations
• Freeman, J., Stegman, D., & May, D. 2007, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts The Role of Ammonia in the Evolution of Enceladus
• Moore, M. H., Ferrante, R. F., & Hudson, R. L. 2007, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts Laboratory Studies of Ammonia-Water Ice--Relevance to Outer Solar system Surfaces
• Schaller, E. L. & Brown, M. E. 2007, The Astrophysical Journal Detection of Methane on Kuiper Belt Object (50000) Quaoar
• Schaller, Emily L. & Brown, M. E. 2007, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Volatile Loss and Retention on Kuiper Belt Objects
• Cook, Jason C., Desch, S. J., & Roush, T. L. 2007, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Near Infreared Spectroscopy of Kuiper Belt Objects: More than Just Water Ice
• Schaller, E. L. & Brown, M. E. 2007, European Planetary Science Congress 2007 Volatile Loss and Retention on Kuiper Belt Objects
• Desch, S. J., Cook, J. C., Hawley, W., & Doggett, T. C. 2007, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Cryovolcanism on Charon and Other Kuiper Belt Objects
• Brown, M. E. & Suer, T.-A. 2007, International Astronomical Union Circular Satellites of 2003 AZ_84, (50000), (55637), and (90482)
• Rabinowitz, David L., Schaefer, Bradley E., & Tourtellotte, Suzanne W. 2007, The Astronomical Journal The Diverse Solar Phase Curves of Distant Icy Bodies. I. Photometric Observations of 18 Trans-Neptunian Objects, 7 Centaurs, and Nereid
• Moore, M. H., Ferrante, R. F., & Hudson, R. L. 2007, Planetary Atmospheres Laboratory Studies of Ammonia-Water Ice - Relevance to Outer Solar System Surfaces
• Cook, Jason Campbell 2007, Ph.D. Thesis Dissecting intermediate-sized Kuiper belt objects
• Lin, H.-W., Wu, Y.-L., & Ip, W.-H. 2007, Advances in Space Research Observations of dwarf planet (136199) Eris and other large TNOs on Lulin Observatory
• Delsanti, Audrey, Bauer, J., Yang, B., & Meech, K. J. 2006, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Search for Crystalline Water Ice on Kuiper Belt Object Orcus
• Bernstein, M. P., Mastrapa, R., & Sandford, S. 2006, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts Near IR spectra and real and imaginary indicies of refraction of ices of relevance to KBOs
• Emery, J. P., Dalle Ore, C., Cruikshank, D. P., Fernandez, Y. R., Trilling, D. E., & Stansberry, J. A. 2006, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts Reflectances of Kuiper Belt Objects at lambda > 2.5 microns
• Moore, Marla H., Hudson, R. L., & Ferrante, R. F. 2006, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society IR Studies of Ammonia Hydrates: Effects of Thermal and Radiation Processing
• Bernstein, Max, Sandford, S., & Cruikshank, D. 2006, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Near IR Spectra of H2O/CH4 And H2O/CO2 Ice Mixtures of Relevance to the Outer Solar System
• Cook, Jason C., Desch, S. J., Roush, T. L., Geballe, T. R., & Trujullo, C. A. 2006, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Charon: Possible Evidence for Cryovolcanism on Kuiper Belt Objects
• Bagnulo, S., Boehnhardt, H., Muinonen, K., Kolokolova, L., Belskaya, I., & Barucci, M. A. 2006, Astronomy and Astrophysics Exploring the surface properties of transneptunian objects and Centaurs with polarimetric FORS1/VLT observations
• Hussmann, H., Sohl, F., & Spohn, T. 2005, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts Sub-Surface Oceans on Mid-Sized Icy Satellites and Large TNO's
• Durand-Manterola, H. J. 2005, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts A Definition of Planet
• Rhoads, Edward 2005, Ph.D. Thesis A survey for TNOs using the APS POSS I database
• Schaefer, B. E., Rabinowitz, D., & Tourtellotte, S. 2005, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Nightly Observations in BVI of 25 KBOs and Centaurs Over a Whole Observing Season
• Mastrapa, R. M. E., Moore, M. H., Hudson, R. L., Ferrante, R. L., & Brown, R. H. 2005, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Proton Irradiation of Crystalline Water Ice: Timescales for Amorphization in the Kuiper Belt
• Trujillo, C. A., Barkume, K. M., Brown, M., Schaller, E. L., & Rabinowitz, D. L. 2005, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Near Infrared Spectra from Mauna Kea of the New Brightest Kuiper Belt Object
• Brown, Michael 2005, HST Proposal Direct measurement of the size of 2003 UB313
• Rhoads, E. 2005, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society A Survey For TNOs Using the APS POSS I Database
• Jewitt, David C. & Luu, Jane 2004, Nature Crystalline water ice on the Kuiper belt object (50000) Quaoar
• Stevenson, David J. 2004, Nature Planetary science: Volcanoes on Quaoar?
• Rhoads, E., Humphries, R., Woodward, C., & Larsen, J. 2004, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society A survey for TNOs using the APS POSS I database
• Pinilla-Alonso, N., Licandro, J., & Campins, H. 2004, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Mineralogical analysis of two different kind of icy surfaces in the trans-neptunian belt, TNOs (50000) Quaoar and 2002 TX<SUB>300</SUB>
• Rabinowitz, D., Tourtellotte, S., & Schaefer, B. 2004, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society The Wavelength Dependence of TNO and Centaur Phase Curves
• Barentine, J. C., Esquerdo, G. A., & Neese, C. L. 2004, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society The APO-PSI TNO Survey
• Brown, Michael E. & Trujillo, Chadwick A. 2004, The Astronomical Journal Direct Measurement of the Size of the Large Kuiper Belt Object (50000) Quaoar
• Pinilla, N. & Licandro, J. 2004, 35th COSPAR Scientific Assembly Mineralogycal analysis of the icy surface of TNOs (50000) Quaoar and 2002 TX<SUB>300</SUB>
• de Bergh, C., Barucci, A., Doressoundiram, A., & Dotto, E. 2004, 35th COSPAR Scientific Assembly Spectroscopy of Kuiper Belt Objects and Centaurs
• Ortiz, J. L., Gutiérrez, P. J., Sota, A., Casanova, V., & Teixeira, V. R. 2003, Astronomy and Astrophysics Rotational brightness variations in Trans-Neptunian Object 50000 Quaoar
• Marchi, S., Lazzarin, M., Magrin, S., & Barbieri, C. 2003, Astronomy and Astrophysics Visible spectroscopy of the two largest known trans-Neptunian objects: Ixion and Quaoar
• Trujillo, C. A. & Brown, M. E. 2003, Earth Moon and Planets The Caltech Wide Area Sky Survey
• Hughes, David W. 2003, Astronomy and Geophysics Planets: Quaoar and the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt
• Trujillo, C. A. & Brown, M. E. 2003, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society The Caltech survey for the brightest Kuiper belt objects
• Rabinowitz, D., Schaefer, B., & Tourtellotte, S. 2003, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Solar Phase Curves for Kuiper-Belt Objects
• Licandro, J., Campins, H., de Leon Cruz, J., Gil-Hutton, R., & Lara-Lopez, L. M. 2003, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Near infrared spectroscopy of TNOs, Centaurs and comet nuclei.

© 2007-2014, 2025 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 16 November 2025
Return to Home. Return to Astronomy and Space. Return to Asteroids with Satellites.