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Upon discovery, asteroid (309239) 2007 RW10 was considered a Neptune Trojancandidate. The object is currently listed by the Minor Planet Center as aCentaur but it is classified as a Scattered Disk or Trans-Neptunian Object byothers. Now that its arc-length is 8,154 days and has been observed for morethan 20 years, a more robust classification should be possible. Here we explorethe orbital behaviour of this object in order to reveal its current dynamicalstatus; we perform N-body simulations in both directions of time to investigatethe evolution of its orbital elements. In particular, we study the librationalproperties of the mean longitude that currently librates around the value ofthe mean longitude of Neptune with an amplitude of nearly 50 degrees and aperiod of about 7,500 years. Our calculations show that it has been in itspresent dynamical state for about 12,500 years and it will stay there foranother 12,500 years. Therefore, its current state is relatively short-lived.Due to its chaotic behaviour, the object may have remained in the 1:1 meanmotion resonance with Neptune for several 100,000 years at most, undergoingtransitions between the various resonant states. (309239) 2007 RW10 iscurrently a quasi-satellite, the first object of this dynamical class to bediscovered around Neptune. With a diameter of about 250 km, it is the largestknown co-orbital in the Solar System. Its significant eccentricity (0.30) andorbital inclination (36 degrees), strongly suggest that it did not form in situbut was captured, likely from beyond Neptune. With an apparent magnitude of21.1 at opposition (October), it is well suited for spectroscopic observationsthat may provide information on its surface composition and hence eventuallyits origin.

(309239) 2007 RW10: a large temporary quasi-satellite of Neptune