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General
This project studies the physical and compositional properties of the so-called minor bodies of the Solar System, that includes asteroids, icy objects, and comets. Of special interest are the trans-neptunian objects (TNOs), including those considered the most distant objects detected so far (Extreme-TNOs or ETNOs); the comets and the comet-asteroid transitional objects (Centaurs and main belt comets or MBCs); the primitive asteroids. The last two groups contain the most primordial and pristine material of the Solar System and so they provide the clues to understand the origin and the subsequent evolution of our system. Among asteroid population, the near-Earth asteroids or NEAs, as well as the potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) are of particular interest: due to their proximity to the Earth, they are the most accesible to spacecraft and so are ideal for in-situ or even sample-return space missions. In addition they are considered as future potential resources of materials (asteroid mining), and they are also impact hazards for the Earth. Regarding primitive asteroids, it is remarkable the spectroscopic survey (visible and near-infrared) led by the PI of this project (PRIMitive Asteroids Spectroscopic Survey - PRIMASS). This survey received financial support from NASA (17-PDART17_2-0097, PI: N. Pinilla-Alonso, 137.000€ - 2 years) in order to upload and archive at the Small Bodies Node of the NASA Planetary Data System the more than 800 spectra obtained.
The compositional surface properties, as well as the physical and thermal properties of these objects are inferred through imaging, photometry, and spectroscopy in a wide range of wavelengths (from 0.35 up to 24 microns). Data are interpreted using scattering and thermo-physical models. This project works also in the study of the physical properties of the cometary nuclei, as well as properties of dust and coma in the tails of the MBCs and the mechanisms that generate them.
This group maintains several international collaborations with other groups, and some of their members are also members of (1) the Science Team of the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission, in particular the Image Processing Working Group, were they work with the images obtained with the OCAMS suite of cameras; (2) the coordination of an international group to study NEAs (EURONEAR); (3) the central core of the proponents of ESA M5 missions CASTALIA, CASTAway, and Hera; (4) the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science - CLASS (NASA); (5) the Solar System group of the Euclid consortium; (6) the surveys J-PLUS and J-PASS for the exploitation of observations of Solar System objects; (7) the Solar System working group of Gaia and JWST.
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Related publications
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Physical properties of five near-Earth asteroids within the NEOROCKS projectWe present photometric data of five near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) obtained in the framework of the NEO Rapid Observation, Characterization, and Key Simulations (NEOROCKS) project. The selected asteroids are (351545) 2005 TE15, (438908) 2009 XO, (501647) 2014 SD224, 2015 FC35, and 2016 CO247. Light curves were obtained for all the asteroids using theMedeiros, H. et al.
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Unveiling the ice and gas nature of active centaur (2060) Chiron using the James Webb Space TelescopeContext. (2060) Chiron is a large centaur that has been reported active on multiple occasions at relatively large heliocentric distances, including during aphelion passage. Studies of Chiron's coma during active periods have resulted in the detection of C≡N and CO outgassing. Additionally, Chiron is surrounded by a disk of debris that varies withPinilla-Alonso, N. et al.
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The physical properties of two potential targets for space missions: (155140) 2005 UD and (612267) 2001 SG286The ground-based characterization of asteroids is a key step for planning their exploration. The near-Earth asteroid 155140 (2005 UD) is a potential flyby target of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's DESTINY+ (Demonstration and Experiment of Space Technology for INterplanetary voYage with Phaethon fLyby and dUst Science) mission, while (612267)Gherase, R. M. et al.
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Physical properties of trans-Neptunian object (143707) 2003 UY<SUB>117</SUB> derived from stellar occultation and photometric observationsContext. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are considered to be among the most primitive objects in our Solar System. Knowledge of their primary physical properties is essential for understanding their origin and the evolution of the outer Solar System. In this context, stellar occultations are a powerful and sensitive technique for studying theseKretlow, M. et al.
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Near-infrared Spectral Homogeneity of the Didymos System Before and After the DART ImpactWe spectroscopically characterized the Didymos system, target of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)/Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids (LICIACube) space mission, close in time to the DART impact event, during six nights between 2022 August and November at Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. Here, we show that near-infrared (NIR)Zanotti, G. et al.
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Light-curve analysis and shape models of NEAs 7335, 7822, 154244, and 159402In an attempt to further characterize the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population, we present 38 new light curves acquired between 2020 September and 2023 November for NEAs (7335) 1989 JA, (7822) 1991 CS, (154244) 2002 KL6, and (159402) 1999 AP10, obtained from observations taken at the Teide Observatory (Tenerife, Spain). With these new observationsRodríguez Rodríguez, Javier et al.
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Comparison of optical spectra between asteroids Ryugu and Bennu: II. High-precision analysis for space weathering trendsVarious natural effects gradually alter the surfaces of asteroids exposed to the space environment. These processes are collectively known as space weathering. The influence of space weathering on the observed spectra of C-complex asteroids remains uncertain. This has long hindered our understanding of their composition and evolution through groundYumoto, K. et al.
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2023 DZ2 Planetary Defense CampaignWe present the results of a fourth planetary defense exercise, focused this time on the small near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 2023 DZ2 and conducted during its close approach to the Earth in 2023 March. The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), with support from NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), has been coordinating planetaryReddy, Vishnu et al.
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Comparison of optical spectra between asteroids Ryugu and Bennu: I. Cross calibration between Hayabusa2/ONC-T and OSIRIS-REx/MapCamAsteroids (162173) Ryugu and (101955) Bennu observed by Hayabusa2 and Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) share many global properties, but high-spatial-resolution spectral observations by the telescopic Optical Navigation Camera (ONC-T) and MapCam detected subtle but significantYumoto, K. et al.
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Asteroid reflectance spectra from Gaia DR3: Near-UV in primitive asteroidsContext. In the context of charge-coupled devices (CCDs), the ultraviolet (UV) region has mostly remained unexplored after the 1990s. Gaia DR3 offers the community a unique opportunity to explore tens of thousands of asteroids in the near-UV as a proxy of the UV absorption. This absorption has been proposed in previous works as a diagnostic ofTinaut-Ruano, F. et al.
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Dynamics of 2023 FW<SUB>14</SUB>, the second L<SUB>4</SUB> Mars trojan, and a physical characterization using the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio CanariasContext. Known Mars trojans could be primordial small bodies that have remained in their present-day orbits for the age of the Solar System. Their orbital distribution is strongly asymmetric; there are over a dozen objects at the L 5 point and just one at L 4, (121514) 1999 UJ 7. Most L 5 trojans appear to form a collision-induced asteroid clusterde la Fuente Marcos, R. et al.
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Pre-perihelion monitoring of interstellar comet 2I/BorisovThe discovery of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov offered the unique opportunity to obtain a detailed analysis of an object coming from another planetary system, and leaving behind material in our interplanetary space. We continuously observed 2I/Borisov between 2019 October 3 and December 13 using the 1.52-m Telescopio Carlos Sánchez equipped withProdan, George P. et al.
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Deciding Technosignature Search Strategies: Multi-Criteria Fuzzy Logic to Find Extraterrestrial IntelligenceThis study presents the implementation of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodologies, particularly the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), in prioritizing technosignatures (TSs) for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). By incorporating expert opinions and weighted criteria basedSánchez-Lozano, Juan Miguel et al.
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Surface Heterogeneity, Physical, and Shape Model of Near-Earth Asteroid (52768) 1998 OR2On 2020 April 29, the near-Earth object (52768) 1998 OR2 experienced a close approach to Earth at a distance of 16.4 lunar distances (LD). 1998 OR2 is a potentially hazardous asteroid of absolute magnitude H = 16.04 that can currently come as close to Earth as 3.4 LD. We report here observations of this object in polarimetry, photometry, and radarDevogèle, Maxime et al.
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Measurement of D/H and <SUP>13</SUP>C/<SUP>12</SUP>C ratios in methane ice on Eris and Makemake: Evidence for internal activityJames Webb Space Telescope's NIRSpec infrared imaging spectrometer observed the outer solar system dwarf planets Eris and Makemake in reflected sunlight at wavelengths spanning 1 through 5 μm. Both objects have high albedo surfaces that are rich in methane ice, with a texture that permits long optical path lengths through the ice for solar photonsGrundy, W. M. et al.
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Orbit of the Patroclus–Menoetius Binary System and Predictions for the 2024/2025 Mutual Events SeasonWe report on the ephemeris development for Menoetius, the satellite of Patroclus. Our data set consisted of ground–based and Hubble Space Telescope relative astrometry, as well as 42 lightcurves from the mutual events seasons in 2007, 2012, and 2017/2018. Our dynamical model included the effects of oblate, nonspherical shapes of the components, andBrozović, Marina et al.
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PRIMASS near-infrared study of the Erigone collisional familyPast analyses of spectral properties of the inner-belt primitive families in visible wavelengths have uncovered the possible existence of two compositional groups: Erigone-like (highly hydrated) and Polana-like (nearly anhydrous) (Morate et al., 2018). We explore the spectral properties of the Erigone asteroid family in the near-infrared to probeHarvison, Brittany et al.
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Photometry of the Didymos System across the DART Impact ApparitionOn 2022 September 26, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft impacted Dimorphos, the satellite of binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos. This demonstrated the efficacy of a kinetic impactor for planetary defense by changing the orbital period of Dimorphos by 33 minutes. Measuring the period change relied heavily on aMoskovitz, Nicholas et al.
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Spectroscopy of the binary TNO Mors-Somnus with the JWST and its relationship to the cold classical and plutino subpopulations observed in the DiSCo-TNO projectContext. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are remnants of small icy bodies from planetary formation that orbit in the region beyond Neptune. Within the population of TNOs, Trans-Neptunian binaries (TNBs) provide a valuable opportunity to test the models of the formation and evolution of planetesimals in the trans-Neptunian region. Various theoriesSouza-Feliciano, A. C. et al.
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Oort cloud perturbations as a source of hyperbolic Earth impactorsThe observation of interstellar objects 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov suggests the existence of a larger population of smaller projectiles that impact our planet with unbound orbits. We analyze an asteroidal grazing meteor (FH1) recorded by the Finnish Fireball Network on October 23, 2022. FH1 displayed a likely hyperbolic orbit lying on the eclipticPeña-Asensio, Eloy et al.
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The IAC hosts the meeting of the NEOMIR mission that will boost the early detection of asteroids.Advertised on