Related papers: The trans-Neptunian object (84922) 2003 VS2 throug…

We present long-term BVRI observations of 2010 WG9, an ~100-km diameter trans-Neptunian object (TNO) with an extremely high inclination of 70 deg discovered by the La Silla - QUEST southern sky survey. Most of the observations were obtained…

We report the discovery of the first trans-neptunian object, designated 2004 XR190, with a nearly-cirular orbit beyond the 2:1 mean-motion resonance. Fitting an orbit to 23 astrometric observations spread out over 12 months yields an orbit…

We study large trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) using stellar occultations. We derive precise astrometric predictions for stellar occultations by Eris, Haumea, Ixion, Makemake, Orcus, Quaoar, Sedna, Varuna, 2002 TX300, and 2003 AZ84 for…

Context: Trans-Neptunian objects are distant bodies that retain valuable information about the origin and evolution of the Solar System. Many of these objects constitute binary systems. Studying binaries allows us to further characterise…

In 2019, the Research and Education Collaborative Occultation Network (RECON) obtained multiple-chord occultation measurements of two centaur objects: 2014 YY$_{49}$ on 2019 January 28 and 2013 NL$_{24}$ on 2019 September 4. RECON is a…

We present a systematic investigation of the rotational lightcurves of trans-Neptunian objects based on extensive optical data from Mauna Kea. Four of 13 objects (corresponding to 31%) in our sample ((33128) 1998 BU48, 2000 GN171, (20000)…

(Abridged) I report new light curves and determine the rotations and phase functions of several large Kuiper Belt objects, including the dwarf planet Eris (2003 UB313). (120348) 2004 TY364 shows a light curve which if double-peaked has a…

We have measured the solar phase curves in B, V, and I for 18 Trans-Neptunian Objects, 7 Centaurs, and Nereid and determined the rotation curves for 10 of these targets. For each body, we have made ~100 observations uniformly spread over…

We analyze a vast light curve database by obtaining mean rotational properties of the entire sample, determining the spin frequency distribution and comparing those data with a simple model based on hydrostatic equilibrium. For the rotation…

Explaining the origin of the orbit of 2000 CR105 (a ~ 230AU, q ~ 45AU) is a major test for our understanding of the primordial evolution of the outer Solar System. Gladman et al. (2001) showed that this objects could not have been a normal…

Physical characterization of Trans-Neptunian objects, a primitive population of the outer solar system, may provide constraints on their formation and evolution. The goal of this work is to characterize a set of 15 scattered disk (SDOs) and…

Context. Bright stellar positions are now known with an uncertainty below 1 mas thanks to Gaia DR2. Between 2019-2020, the Galactic plane will be the background of Jupiter. The dense stellar background will lead to an increase in the number…

[Condensed] We search 0.02 deg^2 for trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) with m<=29.2 (diameter ~15 km) using the ACS on HST. Three new objects are discovered, roughly 25 times fewer than expected from extrapolation of the differential sky…

Observations of Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) in Neptune's 5:2 resonance present two puzzles: this third order resonance hosts a surprisingly large population, comparable to the prominent populations of Plutinos and Twotinos in the first order…

By telescopic tracking, we have established that the orbit of the trans-neptunian object (2000 CR$_{105}$) has a perihelion of $\simeq$44 AU, and is thus outside the domain controlled by strong gravitational close encounters with Neptune.…

Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) in the outer Solar System are predominantly small, icy worlds long presumed to be atmosphereless except for the largest bodies. Until now, Pluto has been unique among TNOs in exhibiting a substantial…

We present an analysis of a stellar occultation event caused by a near-Earth asteroid (98943) 2001 CC21, an upcoming flyby target in the Hayabusa2 extended mission, on March 5, 2023. To accurately determine the asteroid's shape from…

On 12 December 2023, the star $\alpha$ Orionis (Betelgeuse) will be occulted by the asteroid (319) Leona. This represents an extraordinary and unique opportunity to analyze the diameter and brightness distribution of Betelgeuse's…

We present results from a multi-chord Pluto stellar occultation observed on 29 June 2015 from New Zealand and Australia. This occurred only two weeks before the NASA New Horizons flyby of the Pluto system and serves as a useful comparison…

We report on multiwavelength target-of-opportunity observations of the blazar PKS 0735+178, located 2.2 degrees away from the best-fit position of the IceCube neutrino event 211208A. The source was in a high-flux state in the optical,…