88611 Teharonhiawako (provisional designation2001 QT197) is a trans-Neptunian object and a member of the cold classical Kuiper belt, measuring about 220 km in diameter. It is a binary object, with a large companion named Sawiskera (formally designated (88611) Teharonhiawako I Sawiskera), which at 126 km in diameter is about two-thirds the size of its primary.[7] The two components together are known as the Teharonhiawako–Sawiskera binary system.
Discovery
Teharonhiawako was discovered on August 20, 2001, by the Deep Ecliptic Survey, and Sawiskera was identified a month later.
Naming
The primary is named after Teharonhia꞉wako, a god of maize in the Iroquois creation myth, while the secondary is named after his evil twin brother Sawiskera. The objects were named in 2007.[7]
Binary
Teharonhiawako and Sawiskera is a binary minor planet which orbit each other. Their orbit has the following parameters: semi-major-axis—27670 ± 120 km, period—828.76 ± 0.22 days, eccentricity—0.2494 ± 0.0021 and inclination—144.42 ± 0.35°(retrograde). The total system mass is about 2.4 × 1018 kg.[5]
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Vilenius, E.; Kiss, C.; Mommert, M.; et al. (2014). ""TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region X. Analysis of classical Kuiper belt objects from Herschel and Spitzer observations". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 564: A35. arXiv:1403.6309. Bibcode:2014A&A...564A..35V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322416.
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Vilenius, E.; Kiss, C.; Mommert, M.; et al. (2014). ""TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region VI. Herschel>/PACS observations and thermal modeling of 19 classical Kuiper belt objects". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 541: A94. arXiv:1204.0697. Bibcode:2012A&A...541A..94V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201118743.