The Satellites of 2003 EL61

Details about the 2 moons of Kuiper Belt Object, 2003 EL61

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Name	Diameter(s) (km)	Mean Distance From Planet (×10³ km)	Rotational Period (days)	Orbital Period (days)	Orbital Inclination	Orbital Eccentricity	Albedo (%)
S/2005 (2003 EL61) 2	~170	39.3	?	34.1	39°	0	?
S/2005 (2003 EL61) 1	~350	49.5	?	-49.12	234.8°	0.050	~70

Name

2003 EL61 has two satellites.

Diameter

If the larger satellite was in the asteroid belt it would be the fifth largest.

Rotational and Orbital Periods

The rotational periods of the two satellites are not known.

Orbital Inclination

This is the angle of inclination of the satellite orbits compared to the main body's equatorial plane. S/2005 (2003 EL61) 1 has an inclination of more than 90° meaning it is orbiting in a retrograde direction.

Orbital Eccentricity

The orbits of most objects in the Solar System are ellipses. This curve resembles a flattened circle. The eccentricity describes how much the ellipse differs from a circle. An orbit with an eccentricity of 0 is a circle. An orbit with an eccentricity of 1 would be an open curve called a parabola.

Albedo

This is the percentage of sunlight that is reflected by the satellites. The icy surface of S/2005 (2003 EL61) 1 is highly reflective.

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