The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

J. R. Spencer; S. A. Stern; J. M. Moore; H. A. Weaver; K. N. Singer; C. B. Olkin; A. J. Verbiscer; W. B. McKinnon; J. Wm Parker; R. A. Beyer; J. T. Keane; T. R. Lauer; S. B. Porter; O. L. White; B. J. Buratti; M. R. El-Maarry; C. M. Lisse; A. H. Parker; H. B. Throop; S. J. Robbins; O. M. Umurhan; R. P. Binzel; D. T. Britt; M. W. Buie; A. F. Cheng; D. P. Cruikshank; H. A. Elliott; G. R. Gladstone; W. M. Grundy; M. E. Hill; M. Horanyi; D. E. Jennings; J. J. Kavelaars; I. R. Linscott; D. J. McComas; R. L. McNutt; S. Protopapa; D. C. Reuter; P. M. Schenk; M. R. Showalter; L. A. Young; A. M. Zangari; A. Y. Abedin; C. B. Beddingfield; S. D. Benecchi; E. Bernardoni; C. J. Bierson; D. Borncamp; V. J. Bray; A. L. Chaikin; R. D. Dhingra; C. Fuentes; T. Fuse; P. L. Gay; S. D.J. Gwyn; D. P. Hamilton; J. D. Hofgartner; M. J. Holman; A. D. Howard; C. J.A. Howett; H. Karoji; D. E. Kaufmann; M. Kinczyk; B. H. May; M. Mountain; M. Pätzold; J. M. Petit; M. R. Piquette; I. N. Reid; H. J. Reitsema; K. D. Runyon; S. S. Sheppard; J. A. Stansberry; T. Stryk; P. Tanga; D. J. Tholen; D. E. Trilling; L. H. Wasserman

doi:10.1126/science.aay3999

The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

J. R. Spencer
, S. A. Stern
, J. M. Moore
, H. A. Weaver
, K. N. Singer
, C. B. Olkin
, A. J. Verbiscer
, W. B. McKinnon
, J. Wm Parker
, R. A. Beyer
, J. T. Keane
, T. R. Lauer
, S. B. Porter
, O. L. White
, B. J. Buratti
, M. R. El-Maarry
, C. M. Lisse
, A. H. Parker
, H. B. Throop
, S. J. Robbins

O. M. Umurhan, R. P. Binzel, D. T. Britt, M. W. Buie, A. F. Cheng, D. P. Cruikshank, H. A. Elliott, G. R. Gladstone, W. M. Grundy, M. E. Hill, M. Horanyi, D. E. Jennings, J. J. Kavelaars, I. R. Linscott, D. J. McComas, R. L. McNutt, S. Protopapa, D. C. Reuter, P. M. Schenk, M. R. Showalter, L. A. Young, A. M. Zangari, A. Y. Abedin, C. B. Beddingfield, S. D. Benecchi, E. Bernardoni, C. J. Bierson, D. Borncamp, V. J. Bray, A. L. Chaikin, R. D. Dhingra, C. Fuentes, T. Fuse, P. L. Gay, S. D.J. Gwyn, D. P. Hamilton, J. D. Hofgartner, M. J. Holman, A. D. Howard, C. J.A. Howett, H. Karoji, D. E. Kaufmann, M. Kinczyk, B. H. May, M. Mountain, M. Pätzold, J. M. Petit, M. R. Piquette, I. N. Reid, H. J. Reitsema, K. D. Runyon, S. S. Sheppard, J. A. Stansberry, T. Stryk, P. Tanga, D. J. Tholen, D. E. Trilling, L. H. Wasserman

Earth Science

Southwest Research Institute
NASA Ames Research Center
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
University of Virginia
Washington University in St. Louis, McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences
SETI Institute
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
National Science Foundation
JPL
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Central Florida
Southwest Research Institute
Lowell Observatory
Northern Arizona University
University of Colorado Boulder
Planetary Environments Laboratory
NRC
Independent Consultant
Princeton University
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Planetary Science Institute
University of California, Santa Cruz
Decipher Technology Studios
University of Arizona
Independent Science Writer
University of Idaho
University of Chile
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
University of Maryland, College Park
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
National Institutes of Natural Sciences
North Carolina State University
Independent Collaborator
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
University of Cologne
Universite Bourgogne Franche Comte
Space Telescope Science Institute
Independent Consultant
Carnegie Institution for Science
Roane State Community College
CNRS
University of Hawaii

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

101 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, is composed of primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. In January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36-kilometer-long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU₆₉). Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters in diameter) within a radius of 8000 kilometers. Arrokoth has a lightly cratered, smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism.

Original language	British English
Article number	eaay3999
Journal	Science
Volume	367
Issue number	6481
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3999
State	Published - 28 Feb 2020

Access to Document

10.1126/science.aay3999

OpenUrl availability

Full text

Cite this

Spencer, J. R., Stern, S. A., Moore, J. M., Weaver, H. A., Singer, K. N., Olkin, C. B., Verbiscer, A. J., McKinnon, W. B., Wm Parker, J., Beyer, R. A., Keane, J. T., Lauer, T. R., Porter, S. B., White, O. L., Buratti, B. J., El-Maarry, M. R., Lisse, C. M., Parker, A. H., Throop, H. B., ... Wasserman, L. H. (2020). The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth. Science, 367(6481), Article eaay3999. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3999

@article{62b3ad38435149d0a273f838a64fbf35,

title = "The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth",

abstract = "The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, is composed of primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. In January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36-kilometer-long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69). Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters in diameter) within a radius of 8000 kilometers. Arrokoth has a lightly cratered, smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism.",

author = "Spencer, \{J. R.\} and Stern, \{S. A.\} and Moore, \{J. M.\} and Weaver, \{H. A.\} and Singer, \{K. N.\} and Olkin, \{C. B.\} and Verbiscer, \{A. J.\} and McKinnon, \{W. B.\} and \{Wm Parker\}, J. and Beyer, \{R. A.\} and Keane, \{J. T.\} and Lauer, \{T. R.\} and Porter, \{S. B.\} and White, \{O. L.\} and Buratti, \{B. J.\} and El-Maarry, \{M. R.\} and Lisse, \{C. M.\} and Parker, \{A. H.\} and Throop, \{H. B.\} and Robbins, \{S. J.\} and Umurhan, \{O. M.\} and Binzel, \{R. P.\} and Britt, \{D. T.\} and Buie, \{M. W.\} and Cheng, \{A. F.\} and Cruikshank, \{D. P.\} and Elliott, \{H. A.\} and Gladstone, \{G. R.\} and Grundy, \{W. M.\} and Hill, \{M. E.\} and M. Horanyi and Jennings, \{D. E.\} and Kavelaars, \{J. J.\} and Linscott, \{I. R.\} and McComas, \{D. J.\} and McNutt, \{R. L.\} and S. Protopapa and Reuter, \{D. C.\} and Schenk, \{P. M.\} and Showalter, \{M. R.\} and Young, \{L. A.\} and Zangari, \{A. M.\} and Abedin, \{A. Y.\} and Beddingfield, \{C. B.\} and Benecchi, \{S. D.\} and E. Bernardoni and Bierson, \{C. J.\} and D. Borncamp and Bray, \{V. J.\} and Chaikin, \{A. L.\} and Dhingra, \{R. D.\} and C. Fuentes and T. Fuse and Gay, \{P. L.\} and Gwyn, \{S. D.J.\} and Hamilton, \{D. P.\} and Hofgartner, \{J. D.\} and Holman, \{M. J.\} and Howard, \{A. D.\} and Howett, \{C. J.A.\} and H. Karoji and Kaufmann, \{D. E.\} and M. Kinczyk and May, \{B. H.\} and M. Mountain and M. P{\"a}tzold and Petit, \{J. M.\} and Piquette, \{M. R.\} and Reid, \{I. N.\} and Reitsema, \{H. J.\} and Runyon, \{K. D.\} and Sheppard, \{S. S.\} and Stansberry, \{J. A.\} and T. Stryk and P. Tanga and Tholen, \{D. J.\} and Trilling, \{D. E.\} and Wasserman, \{L. H.\}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank all who contributed to the success of the New Horizons flyby of Arrokoth, and in particular the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Subaru Telescope, the Carnegie Observatory's Magellan Telescopes, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the NASA Hubble Space Telescope, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northern Arizona University, the University of Hawaii, the Hertzberg Institute for Supported by NASA's New Horizons project under contracts NASW-02008 and NAS5- 97271/TaskOrder30. J.J.K. was supported by the National Research Council of Canada and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Astrophysics, and NASA, for their support of the search campaign that led to its discovery. We also are indebted to the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Gaia mission for their key roles in the precise orbit determination required to enable the successful flyby. Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works",

year = "2020",

month = feb,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1126/science.aay3999",

language = "British English",

volume = "367",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6481",

}

Spencer, JR, Stern, SA, Moore, JM, Weaver, HA, Singer, KN, Olkin, CB, Verbiscer, AJ, McKinnon, WB, Wm Parker, J, Beyer, RA, Keane, JT, Lauer, TR, Porter, SB, White, OL, Buratti, BJ, El-Maarry, MR, Lisse, CM, Parker, AH, Throop, HB, Robbins, SJ, Umurhan, OM, Binzel, RP, Britt, DT, Buie, MW, Cheng, AF, Cruikshank, DP, Elliott, HA, Gladstone, GR, Grundy, WM, Hill, ME, Horanyi, M, Jennings, DE, Kavelaars, JJ, Linscott, IR, McComas, DJ, McNutt, RL, Protopapa, S, Reuter, DC, Schenk, PM, Showalter, MR, Young, LA, Zangari, AM, Abedin, AY, Beddingfield, CB, Benecchi, SD, Bernardoni, E, Bierson, CJ, Borncamp, D, Bray, VJ, Chaikin, AL, Dhingra, RD, Fuentes, C, Fuse, T, Gay, PL, Gwyn, SDJ, Hamilton, DP, Hofgartner, JD, Holman, MJ, Howard, AD, Howett, CJA, Karoji, H, Kaufmann, DE, Kinczyk, M, May, BH, Mountain, M, Pätzold, M, Petit, JM, Piquette, MR, Reid, IN, Reitsema, HJ, Runyon, KD, Sheppard, SS, Stansberry, JA, Stryk, T, Tanga, P, Tholen, DJ, Trilling, DE & Wasserman, LH 2020, 'The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth', Science, vol. 367, no. 6481, eaay3999. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3999

TY - JOUR

T1 - The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

AU - Spencer, J. R.

AU - Stern, S. A.

AU - Moore, J. M.

AU - Weaver, H. A.

AU - Singer, K. N.

AU - Olkin, C. B.

AU - Verbiscer, A. J.

AU - McKinnon, W. B.

AU - Wm Parker, J.

AU - Beyer, R. A.

AU - Keane, J. T.

AU - Lauer, T. R.

AU - Porter, S. B.

AU - White, O. L.

AU - Buratti, B. J.

AU - El-Maarry, M. R.

AU - Lisse, C. M.

AU - Parker, A. H.

AU - Throop, H. B.

AU - Robbins, S. J.

AU - Umurhan, O. M.

AU - Binzel, R. P.

AU - Britt, D. T.

AU - Buie, M. W.

AU - Cheng, A. F.

AU - Cruikshank, D. P.

AU - Elliott, H. A.

AU - Gladstone, G. R.

AU - Grundy, W. M.

AU - Hill, M. E.

AU - Horanyi, M.

AU - Jennings, D. E.

AU - Kavelaars, J. J.

AU - Linscott, I. R.

AU - McComas, D. J.

AU - McNutt, R. L.

AU - Protopapa, S.

AU - Reuter, D. C.

AU - Schenk, P. M.

AU - Showalter, M. R.

AU - Young, L. A.

AU - Zangari, A. M.

AU - Abedin, A. Y.

AU - Beddingfield, C. B.

AU - Benecchi, S. D.

AU - Bernardoni, E.

AU - Bierson, C. J.

AU - Borncamp, D.

AU - Bray, V. J.

AU - Chaikin, A. L.

AU - Dhingra, R. D.

AU - Fuentes, C.

AU - Fuse, T.

AU - Gay, P. L.

AU - Gwyn, S. D.J.

AU - Hamilton, D. P.

AU - Hofgartner, J. D.

AU - Holman, M. J.

AU - Howard, A. D.

AU - Howett, C. J.A.

AU - Karoji, H.

AU - Kaufmann, D. E.

AU - Kinczyk, M.

AU - May, B. H.

AU - Mountain, M.

AU - Pätzold, M.

AU - Petit, J. M.

AU - Piquette, M. R.

AU - Reid, I. N.

AU - Reitsema, H. J.

AU - Runyon, K. D.

AU - Sheppard, S. S.

AU - Stansberry, J. A.

AU - Stryk, T.

AU - Tanga, P.

AU - Tholen, D. J.

AU - Trilling, D. E.

AU - Wasserman, L. H.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank all who contributed to the success of the New Horizons flyby of Arrokoth, and in particular the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Subaru Telescope, the Carnegie Observatory's Magellan Telescopes, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the NASA Hubble Space Telescope, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northern Arizona University, the University of Hawaii, the Hertzberg Institute for Supported by NASA's New Horizons project under contracts NASW-02008 and NAS5- 97271/TaskOrder30. J.J.K. was supported by the National Research Council of Canada and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Astrophysics, and NASA, for their support of the search campaign that led to its discovery. We also are indebted to the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Gaia mission for their key roles in the precise orbit determination required to enable the successful flyby. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works

PY - 2020/2/28

Y1 - 2020/2/28

N2 - The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, is composed of primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. In January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36-kilometer-long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69). Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters in diameter) within a radius of 8000 kilometers. Arrokoth has a lightly cratered, smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism.

AB - The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, is composed of primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. In January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36-kilometer-long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69). Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters in diameter) within a radius of 8000 kilometers. Arrokoth has a lightly cratered, smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85080824301

U2 - 10.1126/science.aay3999

DO - 10.1126/science.aay3999

M3 - Article

C2 - 32054694

AN - SCOPUS:85080824301

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 367

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6481

M1 - eaay3999

ER -

The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

Abstract

Access to Document

OpenUrl availability

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this