38628 Huya

38628 Huya is a trans-Neptunian object (TNO). It is a plutino, being in a 2:3 mean-motion resonance with Neptune. It has a diameter of 458.0±9.2 km, and it is possibly a dwarf planet (icy trans-Neptunian objects with a diameter above around 400 kilometres (250 mi) are expected to be spherical), although the IAU has never classified it as such. Light-curve-amplitude analysis shows only small deviations, suggesting that Huya is likely a spheroid with small albedo spots. As of 2010, astronomer Gonzalo Tancredi thought that Huya was very probably a dwarf planet.

History

Discovery

Huya was discovered in March 2000 by Ignacio Ferrin and announced on 24 October 2000. At the time of its discovery, Huya was the brightest (and hence estimated to be the biggest) trans-Neptunian object found since Pluto. It was found using data collected at the CIDA Observatory in Venezuela.

Naming

It was named Huya, after Juyá the Wayuu rain god, in August 2003 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).