(42355) Typhon–Echidna: Scheduling observations for binary orbit determination

We describe a strategy for scheduling astrometric observations to minimize the number required to determine the mutual orbits of binary transneptunian systems. The method is illustrated by application to Hubble Space Telescope observations of (42355) Typhon–Echidna, revealing that Typhon and Echidna orbit one another with a period of 18.971±0.00618.971±0.006 days and a semimajor axis of 1628±29 km1628±29 km, implying a system mass of (9.49±0.52)×1017 kg(9.49±0.52)×1017 kg. The eccentricity of the orbit is 0.526±0.0150.526±0.015. Combined with a radiometric size determined from Spitzer Space Telescope data and the assumption that Typhon and Echidna both have the same albedo, we estimate that their radii are 76−16+14 and 42−9+8 km, respectively. These numbers give an average bulk density of only 0.44−0.17+0.44 gcm−3, consistent with very low bulk densities recently reported for two other small transneptunian binaries.