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61. gri-light curve of near-Earth asteroid 2020 CD3
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/160/277
Title:
gri-light curve of near-Earth asteroid 2020 CD3
Short Name:
J/AJ/160/277
Date:
08 Dec 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
We report on our detailed characterization of Earth's second known temporary natural satellite, or minimoon, asteroid 2020CD3. An artificial origin can be ruled out based on its area-to-mass ratio and broadband photometry, which suggest that it is a silicate asteroid belonging to the S or V complex in asteroid taxonomy. The discovery of 2020CD3 allows for the first time a comparison between known minimoons and theoretical models of their expected physical and dynamical properties. The estimated diameter of 1.2_-0.2_^+0.4^m and geocentric capture approximately a decade after the first known minimoon, 2006RH120, are in agreement with theoretical predictions. The capture duration of 2020CD3 of at least 2.7yr is unexpectedly long compared to the simulation average, but it is in agreement with simulated minimoons that have close lunar encounters, providing additional support for the orbital models. 2020CD3's atypical rotation period, significantly longer than theoretical predictions, suggests that our understanding of meter-scale asteroids needs revision. More discoveries and a detailed characterization of the population can be expected with the forthcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time.
62. Hawaii Trails Project
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/505/1297
Title:
Hawaii Trails Project
Short Name:
J/A+A/505/1297
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
The mysterious solar system object 133P/(7968) Elst-Pizarro is dynamically asteroidal, yet displays recurrent comet-like dust emission. Two scenarios were hypothesized to explain this unusual behavior: (1) 133P is a classical comet from the outer solar system that has evolved onto a main-belt orbit, or (2) 133P is a dynamically ordinary main-belt asteroid on which subsurface ice has recently been exposed. If (1) is correct, the expected rarity of a dynamical transition onto an asteroidal orbit implies that 133P could be alone in the main belt. In contrast, if (2) is correct, other icy main-belt objects should exist and could also exhibit cometary activity. Believing 133P to be a dynamically ordinary, yet icy main-belt asteroid, I set out to test the primary prediction of the hypothesis: that 133P-like objects should be common and could be found by an appropriately designed observational survey.
63. High-speed photometry obs. of WD 1145+017 syst.
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/818/L7
Title:
High-speed photometry obs. of WD 1145+017 syst.
Short Name:
J/ApJ/818/L7
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
We obtained high-speed photometry of the disintegrating planetesimals orbiting the white dwarf WD 1145+017, spanning a period of four weeks. The light curves show a dramatic evolution of the system since the first observations obtained about seven months ago. Multiple transit events are detected in every light curve, which have varying durations (~=3-12 minutes) and depths (~=10%-60%). The time-averaged extinction is ~=11%, much higher than at the time of the Kepler observations. The shortest-duration transits require that the occulting cloud of debris has a few times the size of the white dwarf, longer events are often resolved into the superposition of several individual transits. The transits evolve on timescales of days, both in shape and in depth, with most of them gradually appearing and disappearing over the course of the observing campaign. Several transits can be tracked across multiple nights, all of them recur on periods of ~=4.49hr, indicating multiple planetary debris fragments on nearly identical orbits. Identifying the specific origin of these bodies within this planetary system, and the evolution leading to their current orbits remains a challenging problem.
64. HST and Magellan observations of Haumea system
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/152/195
Title:
HST and Magellan observations of Haumea system
Short Name:
J/AJ/152/195
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
Hi'iaka is the larger outer satellite of the dwarf planet Haumea. Using relative photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope and Magellan and a phase dispersion minimization analysis, we have identified the rotation period of Hi'iaka to be ~9.8hr (double peaked). This is ~120 times faster than its orbital period, creating new questions about the formation of this system and possible tidal evolution. The rapid rotation suggests that Hi'iaka could have a significant obliquity and spin precession that could be visible in light curves within a few years. We then turn to an investigation of what we learn about the (currently unclear) formation of the Haumea system and family based on this unexpectedly rapid rotation rate. We explore the importance of the initial semimajor axis and rotation period in tidal evolution theory and find that they strongly influence the time required to despin to synchronous rotation, relevant to understanding a wide variety of satellite and binary systems. We find that despinning tides do not necessarily lead to synchronous spin periods for Hi'iaka, even if it formed near the Roche limit. Therefore, the short rotation period of Hi'iaka does not rule out significant tidal evolution. Hi'iaka's spin period is also consistent with formation near its current location and spin-up due to Haumea-centric impactors.
65. HST astrometry of TNOs
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/189/336
Title:
HST astrometry of TNOs
Short Name:
J/ApJS/189/336
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
We present 1428 individual astrometric measurements of 256 trans-Neptunian objects made with Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The observations were collected over three years with two instruments, the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 and the Advanced Camera for Surveys High Resolution Camera, as part of four HST programs. We briefly describe the data and our analysis procedures. The submission of these measurements to the Minor Planet Center increased the individual arc length of objects by 1.83 days to 8.11 years. Of the 256 total objects, 62 (24.2%) had arc length increases of >=3 years. The arc length for 60 objects (23.4%) was increased by a factor of 2 or greater.
66. Inner Oort cloud survey observations: 2015 TG387
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/157/139
Title:
Inner Oort cloud survey observations: 2015 TG387
Short Name:
J/AJ/157/139
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
Inner Oort cloud objects (IOCs) are trans-Plutonian for their entire orbits. They are beyond the strong gravitational influences of the known planets, yet close enough to the Sun that outside forces are minimal. Here we report the discovery of the third known IOC after Sedna and 2012 VP113, called 2015 TG387. This object has a perihelion of 65+/-1 au and semimajor axis of 1170+/-70 au. The longitude of perihelion angle, {omega}, for 2015 TG387 is between that of Sedna and 2012 VP113 and thus similar to the main group of clustered extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs), which may be shepherded into similar orbital angles by an unknown massive distant planet called Planet X, or Planet Nine. The orbit of 2015 TG387 is stable over the age of the solar system from the known planets and Galactic tide. When including outside stellar encounters over 4 Gyr, 2015 TG387's orbit is usually stable, but its dynamical evolution depends on the stellar encounter scenarios used. Surprisingly, when including a massive Planet X beyond a few hundred au on an eccentric orbit that is antialigned in longitude of perihelion with most of the known ETNOs, we find that 2015 TG387 is typically stable for Planet X orbits that render the other ETNOs stable as well. Notably, 2015 TG387's argument of perihelion is constrained, and its longitude of perihelion librates about 180{deg} from Planet X's longitude of perihelion, keeping 2015 TG387 antialigned with Planet X over the age of the solar system.
67. (704) Interamnia images
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/633/A65
Title:
(704) Interamnia images
Short Name:
J/A+A/633/A65
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
With an estimated diameter in the 320 to 350km range, (704) Interamnia is the fifth largest main belt asteroid and one of the few bodies that fills the gap in size between the four largest bodies with D>400km (Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Hygiea) and the numerous smaller bodies with diameter 200 km. However, despite its large size, little is known about the shape and spin state of Interamnia and, therefore, about its bulk composition and past collisional evolution. We aimed to test at what size and mass the shape of a small body departs from a nearly ellipsoidal equilibrium shape (as observed in the case of the four largest asteroids) to an irregular shape as routinely observed in the case of smaller (D<=200km) bodies. We observed Interamnia as part of our ESO VLT/SPHERE large program (ID: 199.C-0074) at thirteen different epochs. In addition, several new optical lightcurves were recorded. These data, along with stellar occultation data from the literature, were fed to the All-Data Asteroid Modeling (ADAM) algorithm to reconstruct the 3D-shape model of Interamnia and to determine its spin state. Interamnia's volume-equivalent diameter of 332+/-6km implies a bulk density of {rho}=1.98+/-0.68g/cm^3^, which suggests that Interamnia - like Ceres and Hygiea - contains a high fraction of water ice, consistent with the paucity of apparent craters. Our observations reveal a shape that can be well approximated by an ellipsoid, and that is compatible with a fluid hydrostatic equilibrium at the 2{sigma}level. The rather regular shape of Interamnia implies that the size and mass limit, under which the shapes of minor bodies with a high amount of water ice in the subsurface become irregular, has to be searched among smaller (D<=300km) less massive (m<=3x10^19^kg) bodies.
68. INT near-Earth asteroids spectroscopic survey
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/627/A124
Title:
INT near-Earth asteroids spectroscopic survey
Short Name:
J/A+A/627/A124
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
The population of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) shows a large variety of objects in terms of physical and dynamical properties. They are subject to planetary encounters and to strong solar wind and radiation effects. Their study is also motivated by practical reasons regarding space exploration and long-term probability of impact with the Earth. We aim to spectrally characterize a significant sample of NEAs with sizes in the range of ~0.25-5.5km (categorized as large), and search for connections between their spectral types and the orbital parameters. Optical spectra of NEAs were obtained using the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) equipped with the IDS spectrograph. These observations are analyzed using taxonomic classification and by comparison with laboratory spectra of meteorites. A total number of 76 NEAs were observed. We spectrally classified 44 of them as Q/S-complex, 16 as B/C-complex, eight as V-types, and another eight belong to the remaining taxonomic classes. Our sample contains 27 asteroids categorized as potentially hazardous and 31 possible targets for space missions including (459872) 2014 EK24, (436724) 2011 UW158, and (67367) 2000 LY27. The spectral data corresponding to (276049) 2002 CE26 and (385186) 1994 AW1 shows the 0.7um feature which indicates the presence of hydrated minerals on their surface. We report that Q-types have the lowest perihelia (a median value and absolute deviation of 0.797+/-0.244AU) and are systematically larger than the S-type asteroids observed in our sample. We explain these observational evidences by thermal fatigue fragmentation as the main process for the rejuvenation of NEA surfaces. In general terms, the taxonomic distribution of our sample is similar to the previous studies and matches the broad groups of the inner main belt asteroids. Nevertheless, we found a wide diversity of spectra compared to the standard taxonomic types.
69. IRAS Asteroid and Comet Survey
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/VII/91
Title:
IRAS Asteroid and Comet Survey
Short Name:
VII/91
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
The main purpose of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) was to survey the sky in four infrared wavelength bands centered at 12, 25, 60 and 100 um. Data for 25 comets, 1811 known asteroids and ~TBD asteroids without orbits were obtained and accepted into this IRAS asteroid and comet catalog, which is the largest, least biased and most uniform survey of asteroids and comets. For the IRAS Asteroid Survey, 7,015 sightings from 1,811 individual asteroids that were of sufficient quality have been accepted into the asteroid catalog. Diameters, albedos and various technical parameters have been derived for these minor planet. The IRAS comet catalog contains the detection history for each comet reliably detected in the ADAS search. Positions were searched for all periodic comets that passed near the sun or earth during the period from 1982 to 1985 plus all comets that were observed during that period.
70. IRAS Minor Planet Survey (IMPS)
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/II/190
Title:
IRAS Minor Planet Survey (IMPS)
Short Name:
II/190
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
The IRAS Minor Planet Survey (1992) supplements the asteroid data given in the IRAS Asteroid and Comet Survey (1986; catalog <VII/91>); comets are not included in IMPS. All asteroids with reasonably well-known orbits as of December 1990 are covered. In particular, IMPS updates the processing of asteroids numbered 1 through 3318 and extends this processing to asteroid number 4679 plus 2,632 asteroids with preliminary (two or more opposition) orbits. IMPS processed only IRAS survey observations; Low Resolution Spectrometer, Serendipitous, and Additional Observations data were not processed.