Mineralogical Characterization and Phase Angle Study of Two Binary Near-Earth Asteroids, Potential Targets for NASA’s Janus Mission
Ground-based characterization of spacecraft targets prior to mission operations is critical to properly plan and execute measurements. Understanding surface properties, such as mineralogical composition and phase curves (expected brightness at different viewing geometries), informs data acquisition...
| Published in: | The Planetary Science Journal |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acd10d |
| _version_ | 1850123894979035136 |
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| author | Lucille Le Corre Juan A. Sanchez Vishnu Reddy Adam Battle David C. Cantillo Benjamin Sharkey Robert Jedicke Daniel J. Scheeres |
| author_facet | Lucille Le Corre Juan A. Sanchez Vishnu Reddy Adam Battle David C. Cantillo Benjamin Sharkey Robert Jedicke Daniel J. Scheeres |
| author_sort | Lucille Le Corre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| container_title | The Planetary Science Journal |
| description | Ground-based characterization of spacecraft targets prior to mission operations is critical to properly plan and execute measurements. Understanding surface properties, such as mineralogical composition and phase curves (expected brightness at different viewing geometries), informs data acquisition during the flybys. Binary near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) (35107) 1991 VH and (175706) 1996 FG3 were selected as potential targets of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) dual spacecraft Janus mission. We observed 1991 VH using the 3 m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, on 2008 July 26. 1996 FG3 was observed with the IRTF for seven nights during the spring of 2022. Compositional analysis of 1991 VH revealed that this NEA is classified as an Sq-type in the Bus–DeMeo taxonomy classification, with a composition consistent with LL ordinary chondrites. Using thermal modeling, we computed the thermally corrected spectra for 1996 FG3 and the corresponding best-fit albedo of about 2%–3% for the best spectra averaged for each night. Our spectral analysis indicates that this NEA is a Ch-type. The best possible meteorite analogs for 1996 FG3, based on curve matching, are two carbonaceous chondrites, Y-86789 and Murchison. No rotational variation was detected in the spectra of 1996 FG3, which means there may not be any heterogeneities on the surface of the primary. However, a clear phase reddening effect was observed in our data, confirming findings from previous ground-based studies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a06b2fb55b3a4286bca3be1e086c9dc7 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| spelling | doaj-art-a06b2fb55b3a4286bca3be1e086c9dc72025-08-19T23:55:16ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382023-01-01459110.3847/PSJ/acd10dMineralogical Characterization and Phase Angle Study of Two Binary Near-Earth Asteroids, Potential Targets for NASA’s Janus MissionLucille Le Corre0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0349-7932Juan A. Sanchez1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0764-4672Vishnu Reddy2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7743-3491Adam Battle3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4412-5732David C. Cantillo4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6018-1729Benjamin Sharkey5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1383-1578Robert Jedicke6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7830-028XDaniel J. Scheeres7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0558-3842Planetary Science Institute , 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA ; lecorre@psi.edu; Visiting Astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), University of Hawaii , USAPlanetary Science Institute , 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA ; lecorre@psi.eduVisiting Astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), University of Hawaii , USA; Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , 1629 E University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721, USAVisiting Astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), University of Hawaii , USA; Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , 1629 E University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721, USAVisiting Astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), University of Hawaii , USA; Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , 1629 E University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721, USAVisiting Astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), University of Hawaii , USA; Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , 1629 E University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721, USAVisiting Astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), University of Hawaii , USA; Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822-1839, USAVisiting Astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), University of Hawaii , USA; Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder , 3775 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303, USAGround-based characterization of spacecraft targets prior to mission operations is critical to properly plan and execute measurements. Understanding surface properties, such as mineralogical composition and phase curves (expected brightness at different viewing geometries), informs data acquisition during the flybys. Binary near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) (35107) 1991 VH and (175706) 1996 FG3 were selected as potential targets of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) dual spacecraft Janus mission. We observed 1991 VH using the 3 m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, on 2008 July 26. 1996 FG3 was observed with the IRTF for seven nights during the spring of 2022. Compositional analysis of 1991 VH revealed that this NEA is classified as an Sq-type in the Bus–DeMeo taxonomy classification, with a composition consistent with LL ordinary chondrites. Using thermal modeling, we computed the thermally corrected spectra for 1996 FG3 and the corresponding best-fit albedo of about 2%–3% for the best spectra averaged for each night. Our spectral analysis indicates that this NEA is a Ch-type. The best possible meteorite analogs for 1996 FG3, based on curve matching, are two carbonaceous chondrites, Y-86789 and Murchison. No rotational variation was detected in the spectra of 1996 FG3, which means there may not be any heterogeneities on the surface of the primary. However, a clear phase reddening effect was observed in our data, confirming findings from previous ground-based studies.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acd10dNear-Earth objectsAsteroid surfacesNear infrared astronomyPlanetary mineralogyMeteoritesPhase angle |
| spellingShingle | Lucille Le Corre Juan A. Sanchez Vishnu Reddy Adam Battle David C. Cantillo Benjamin Sharkey Robert Jedicke Daniel J. Scheeres Mineralogical Characterization and Phase Angle Study of Two Binary Near-Earth Asteroids, Potential Targets for NASA’s Janus Mission Near-Earth objects Asteroid surfaces Near infrared astronomy Planetary mineralogy Meteorites Phase angle |
| title | Mineralogical Characterization and Phase Angle Study of Two Binary Near-Earth Asteroids, Potential Targets for NASA’s Janus Mission |
| title_full | Mineralogical Characterization and Phase Angle Study of Two Binary Near-Earth Asteroids, Potential Targets for NASA’s Janus Mission |
| title_fullStr | Mineralogical Characterization and Phase Angle Study of Two Binary Near-Earth Asteroids, Potential Targets for NASA’s Janus Mission |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mineralogical Characterization and Phase Angle Study of Two Binary Near-Earth Asteroids, Potential Targets for NASA’s Janus Mission |
| title_short | Mineralogical Characterization and Phase Angle Study of Two Binary Near-Earth Asteroids, Potential Targets for NASA’s Janus Mission |
| title_sort | mineralogical characterization and phase angle study of two binary near earth asteroids potential targets for nasa s janus mission |
| topic | Near-Earth objects Asteroid surfaces Near infrared astronomy Planetary mineralogy Meteorites Phase angle |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acd10d |
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