(50000) Quaoar is an object of the Ceinture of Kuiper discovered in 2002 by the astronomers Chadwick (Chad) A. Trujillo and Michael (Mike) E. Brown of the Institute of Technology of California, located with Pasadena. Its temporary designation was .

Its estimated diameter is of 1  280 kilometers, which made of him, at the time of its discovery, the largest planetoid of the Solar system. It thus took the place which was occupied a long time by the Astéroïde (1) Cérès.

Its discovery is an argument moreover for the opponents with the planet statute of Pluton. They estimate indeed that the Ceinture of Kuiper could contain more than one ten objects of the size Quaoar.

Since, objects even larger were discovered: (90482) Orcus, (90377) Sedna and finally (136199) Éris in 2005.

Quaoar is probably composed of an aggregate of rocks and ice, this one having probably disappeared from surface as indicates it its Albédo of 0,07.

Name

Its name comes from an Amerindian divinity, the creative spirit in mythology Tongva (San Gabrielino), and follows the tradition to name these remote objects in order to evoke the ultimate origins or the cold. The fact that this asteroid has a round number is not a coincidence. The MPC (Minor Planet Center) is the world organization charged to compile the orbits of all the wandering stars the such asteroids and the comets. It grants a classification to an asteroid when its orbit is sufficiently well-known so that it cannot be lost any more. Classifications are made by “blocks” during inclusion in the official catalog, they can thus cheat a little to give round numbers to the remarkable objects.

Orbits

Quaoar follows an almost circular orbit, not very tilted, much more planetary that Pluton as illustrated by the polar sight. The spheres show the positions of the objects in April 2006, their sizes and their colors relative. The Perihelion S and the Aphélie S are marked with the dates of the passages.

Quaoar is classified like a traditional object Objet transneptunien , its orbit however is exceptional among large the cubewanos which follow more tilted orbits typically and more eccentrics (see Cubewano S for the comparison of the orbits). With 43 ua and on an almost circular orbit, Quaoar is with the shelter of the disturbances caused by Neptune, contrary to Pluton which owes the stability of its orbit with the orbital Résonance.

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