The Colors of Extreme Outer Solar System Objects

TL;DR

This study investigates the surface colors of 33 distant Solar System objects, revealing correlations between color, orbital characteristics, and likely origins, with ultra-red surfaces linked to objects far from the Sun and from specific source regions.

Contribution

It provides new observational data on surface colors of distant objects, highlighting color trends and their implications for understanding their origins and surface compositions.

Findings

Objects linked to the inner Oort cloud have ultra-red surfaces.

Distant objects tend to have redder surfaces, with a trend of increasing redness with distance.

Different populations show distinct color distributions, indicating varied origins.

Abstract

(Abridged) Thirty-three objects with possible origins beyond the Kuiper Belt edge, very high inclinations, very large semi-major axes or large perihelion distances were observed to determine their surface colors. All three objects that have been dynamically linked to the inner Oort cloud (Sedna, 2006 SQ372, and 2000 OO67) were found to have ultra-red surfaces (S~25). Ultra-red material is generally associated with rich organics and the low inclination "cold" classical Kuiper Belt objects. The observations detailed here show very red material may be a more general feature for objects kept far from the Sun. The recently discovered retrograde outer Solar System objects (2008 KV42 and 2008 YB3) and the high inclination object (127546) 2002 XU93 show only moderately red surfaces (S~9), very similar to known comets. The extended or detached disk objects, which have large perihelion distances and large eccentricities, are found to have mostly moderately red colors (10 < S < 18). The colors of the detached disk objects, including the dynamically unusual 2004 XR190 and 2000 CR105, are similar to the scattered disk and Plutino populations. Thus the detached and scattered disk likely have a similar mix of objects from the same source regions. Outer classical belt objects, including 1995 TL8, were found to have very red surfaces (18 < S < 30). The "cold" classical belt, outer classical belt and inner Oort cloud appear to be dominated by ultra-red objects (S > 25) and thus don't likely have a similar mix of objects as the scattered disk, detached disk and Trojan populations. A possible trend was found for the detached disk and outer classical belt in that objects with smaller eccentricities have redder surfaces irrespective of inclinations or perihelion distances. There is also a clear trend that objects more distant appear redder.