(84522) 2002 TC302 is an unnamed trans-Neptunian object in the scattered disk, orbiting the Sun on a highly distant and elliptical orbit. It is in a 2:5 orbital resonance with Neptune, meaning its orbital period is exactly 5⁄2 times that of Neptune's. It was discovered at Palomar Observatory on 9 October 2002, during a search for trans-Neptunian objects by Chad Trujillo, Michael E. Brown, and the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking program. The object measures approximately 500 km (310 mi) in diameter and has a shape resembling a flattened sphere, making it a possible dwarf planet. 2002 TC302 has a cold and icy surface made of frozen water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methanol, and various complex organic compounds. These complex organic compounds, called tholins, color the object's surface red and are thought to be byproducts of ice irradiated by solar and cosmic rays. 2002 TC302 rotates slowly, with a rotation period of approximately 56 hours, and may possess a large unresolved moon based on indirect evidence from telescope observations.
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