MBOSS Colors

• Object: name of the object
• Class: dynamic class of the object
  • SPC: Short Period Comet
  • CENT: Centaur, listed as Centaur/Scattered by MPC and with a <= 35 AU
  • SCAT: Scattered, listed as Centaur/Scattered by MPC, with a > 35 AU
  • PLUT: Plutino, 38.5 < a < 40.5 AU
  • QB1: Cubewano, the others
  • ???: unclassified, possibly a MBOSS satellite
• Epo: Number of independent epochs available.
• M11: Absolute R magnitude (not V), normalized to r = Delta = 1 AU, with no attempt to correct any phase effect.
• Grt: Spectral gradient, in %/100nm, spectrum normalized to 1 at V.
• B-V, etc: colors

• The various columns are the weighted average of all the available measurements, obtained as

  [1]      x = Sum( x_i / sigma_i ) / Sum( 1/ sigma_i )
  

  where x_i and sigma_i are the measurements and error bars published by the individual authors.
• "sigma" refers to the total error on the average, obtained as

  [2]     sigma = Sqrt(  Sum( sigma_i^2 / sigma_i ) / Sum(1/ sigma_i)
                   +  Sum( (x_i - x)^2/ sigma_i ) / (N-1) / Sum(1/ sigma_i) )
  

  where x is the average obtained in [1]. The first term of the square root refers to the combination of the error bars on the individual measurements, and the second to the dispersion of the measurments.
• "disp" refers to the dispersion of the measurements, obtained as

  [3]     disp = Sqrt(  Sum( (x_i - x)^2/ sigma_i ) / (N-1) / Sum(1/ sigma_i) )
  

  i.e. is the second term of [2]. The "disp" of Grt is an exception; refer to Hainaut and Delsanti 2002.
• 1998WW31+B, +C... refer to the satellites. Warning: measurements reported for the main body (eg 1998WW31) are likely to include measurements of the object together with its satellite(s).