Our solar system is like a giant playground filled with amazing things to discover. One of these exciting objects is called 347 Salacious. It’s a trans-Neptunian object, which means it’s a space rock that orbits the Sun way out past Neptune. Let’s learn more about this fascinating object and why scientists are so interested in it!
347 Salacious, also known as 2004 SP60, was spotted on September 22, 2004. A group of American astronomers named Henry Rowe, Michael Brown, and Christina Barkoon discovered it while working at the Palomar Observatory. They found it in a special area of space called the Kuiper Belt, which is full of icy objects beyond Neptune.
This space rock is pretty big, with a diameter of about 850 kilometers (or 528 miles). It’s located around 44.8 astronomical units from the Sun. An astronomical unit is the distance from the Earth to the Sun, so that’s really far away! It takes 347 Salacious about 272 years to go around the Sun once. Scientists have watched it 124 times to learn more about it.
347 Salacious has a radius of about 281 miles and even has its own moon named Actea. Actea is about 190 miles across, which is one-third the size of Salacious. Scientists are still studying what 347 Salacious is made of. Some, like Michael Brown, think it might even be a dwarf planet, but that’s still up for debate.
The name “Salacious” comes from the Roman goddess Latia. Naming space objects often involves mythology or history, making them even more interesting to learn about.
347 Salacious is a reminder of how amazing our solar system is. As a trans-Neptunian object, it helps scientists learn about how space rocks form and change over time. By studying objects like 347 Salacious, we can understand more about the universe and its many mysteries.
Create Your Own Solar System Model: Gather some craft materials like clay, foam balls, or paper to create a model of the solar system. Include the Sun, the planets, and 347 Salacious. Use different sizes to represent the different objects, with 347 Salacious being smaller than the planets. Place it beyond Neptune to show its position in the Kuiper Belt. Discuss with your friends or family why 347 Salacious is special and what makes it different from the planets.
Observation Journal: Start a space observation journal. Each night, look at the sky and note any stars or planets you can see. Write down their positions and any changes you notice over time. Imagine where 347 Salacious might be in the sky, even though it’s too far to see without a telescope. Think about how long it takes for 347 Salacious to orbit the Sun and compare it to Earth’s orbit of 1 year.
Math Challenge: Use math to explore the distance of 347 Salacious from the Sun. If 1 astronomical unit (AU) is the distance from the Earth to the Sun, and 347 Salacious is 44.8 AU away, calculate how many times farther it is from the Sun compared to Earth. Discuss how this distance affects the time it takes for 347 Salacious to complete one orbit around the Sun, which is 272 years.
