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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.
Members
Scientific activity
Related publications
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Intermittent Dust Mass Loss from Activated Asteroid P/2013 P5 (PANSTARRS)We present observations and models of the dust environment of activated asteroid P/2013 P5 (PANSTARRS). The object displayed a complex morphology during the observations, with the presence of multiple tails. We combined our own observations, all made with instrumentation attached to the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias on La Palma, with previouslyPozuelos, F. et al.
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22014 -
Observational results for eight long-period comets observed far from the SunContext. With this work we start a systematic analysis of the distant activity of several long-period comets in order to investigate the evolution of activity throughout the solar system and explore differences between comets that pass their perihelion at far or very close distances from the Sun. Aims: We present observational data for eight longDall'Ora, M. et al.
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12014 -
Thermophysical properties of near-Earth asteroid (341843) 2008 EV5 from WISE dataAims: We derive the thermal inertia of 2008 EV5, the baseline target for the Marco Polo-R mission proposal, and infer information about the size of the particles on its surface. Methods: Values of thermal inertia were obtained by fitting an asteroid thermophysical model to NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) infrared data. Grain sizeDelbo, M. et al.
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12014 -
Mining the ESO WFI and INT WFC archives for known Near Earth Asteroids. Mega-Precovery softwareThe ESO/MPG WFI and the INT WFC wide field archives comprising 330 000 images were mined to search for serendipitous encounters of known Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs). A total of 152 asteroids (44 PHAs and 108 other NEAs) were identified using the PRECOVERY software, their astrometry being measured on 761Vaduvescu, O. et al.
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02013 -
Lightcurve, Color and Phase Function Photometry of the OSIRIS-REx Target Asteroid (101955) BennuThe NASA OSIRIS-REx mission will retrieve a sample of the carbonaceous near-Earth Asteroid (101955) Bennu and return it to Earth in 2023. Photometry in the Eight Color Asteroid Survey (ECAS) filter system and Johnson–Cousins V and R filters were conducted during the two most recent apparitions in 2005/2006 and 2011/2012. Lightcurve observationsHergenrother, C. W. et al.
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92013 -
Thermal properties, sizes, and size distribution of Jupiter-family cometary nucleiWe present results from SEPPCoN, an on-going Survey of the Ensemble Physical Properties of Cometary Nuclei. In this report we discuss mid-infrared measurements of the thermal emission from 89 nuclei of Jupiter-family comets (JFCs). All data were obtained in 2006 and 2007 using imaging capabilities of the Spitzer Space Telescope. The comets wereFernández, Y. R. et al.
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92013 -
739 observed NEAs and new 2–4 m survey statistics within the EURONEAR networkWe report follow-up observations of 477 program Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) using nine telescopes of the EURONEAR network having apertures between 0.3 and 4.2 m. Adding these NEAs to our previous results we now count 739 program NEAs followed-up by the EURONEAR network since 2006. The targets were selected using EURONEAR planning tools focusing onVaduvescu, O. et al.
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92013 -
Additional spectra of asteroid 1996 FG3, backup target of the ESA MarcoPolo-R missionContext. Near-Earth binary asteroid (175706) 1996 FG3 is the current backup target of the ESA MarcoPolo-R mission, selected for the study phase of ESA M3 missions. It is a primitive (C-type) asteroid that shows significant variation in its visible and near-infrared spectra. Aims: Here we present new visible and near-infrared spectra of 1996 FG3. Wede León, J. et al.
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82013 -
The Origin of Asteroid 162173 (1999 JU3)Near-Earth asteroid (162173) 1999 JU3 (henceforth JU3) is a potentially hazardous asteroid and the target of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa-2 sample return mission. JU3 is also a backup target for two other sample return missions: NASA's OSIRIS-REx and the European Space Agency's Marco Polo-R. We use dynamical information toCampins, Humberto et al.
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82013 -
Visible and near-infrared observations of asteroid 2012 DA14 during its closest approach of February 15, 2013Context. Near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 made its closest approach on February 15, 2013, when it passed at a distance of 27 700 km from the Earth's surface. It was the first time an asteroid of moderate size was predicted to approach that close to the Earth, becoming bright enough to permit a detailed study from ground-based telescopes. Aimsde León, J. et al.
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72013 -
The persistent activity of Jupiter-family comets at 3–7 AUWe analyze the activity of 89 comets observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope.We conclude that at least 24% of Jupiter-family comets are active at 3–7 AU.Comets are more likely to be active post perihelion.We find that all survey targets comets with perihelion inside of 1.8 AU are inactive.Kelley, Michael S. et al.
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72013 -
Physical properties of B-type asteroids from WISE dataAims: Our aim is to obtain more information about the physical nature of B-type asteroids and extend previous work by studying their physical properties as derived from fitting an asteroid thermal model to their NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) data. We also examine the Pallas collisional family, a B-type family with a moderatelyAlí-Lagoa, V. et al.
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62013 -
The Dust Environment of Main-Belt Comet P/2012 T1 (PANSTARRS)The Main-Belt Comet P/2012 T1 (PANSTARRS) has been imaged using the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias and the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope at six epochs in the period from 2012 November to 2013 February, with the aim of monitoring its dust environment. The dust tails' brightness and morphology are best interpreted in terms of a model of sustainedMoreno, F. et al.
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62013 -
An evaluation of the exposure in nadir observation of the JEM-EUSO missionWe evaluate the exposure during nadir observations with JEM-EUSO, the Extreme Universe Space Observatory, on-board the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station. Designed as a mission to explore the extreme energy Universe from space, JEM-EUSO will monitor the Earth's nighttime atmosphere to record the ultraviolet light fromAdams, J. H. et al.
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42013 -
Near-infrared spectroscopy of 1999 JU3, the target of the Hayabusa 2 missionContext. Primitive asteroids contain complex organic material and ices relevant to the origin of life on Earth. These types of asteroids are the target of several sample-return missions to be launched in the next years. 1999 JU3 is the target of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa 2 mission. Aims: 1999 JU3 has been previouslyLicandro, J. et al.
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42013 -
Activity of Comet 103P/Hartley 2 at the time of the EPOXI mission fly-byComet 103P/Hartley 2 was observed on November 1-6, 2010, coinciding with the fly-by of the space probe EPOXI. The goal was to connect the large scale phenomena observed from the ground, with those at small scale observed from the spacecraft. The comet showed strong activity correlated with the rotation of its nucleus, also observed by theMeech, Karen et al.
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22013 -
Surface composition and dynamical evolution of two retrograde objects in the outer solar system: 2008 YB3 and 2005 VDMost of the objects in the trans-Neptunian belt (TNb) and related populations move in prograde orbits with low eccentricity and inclination. However, the list of icy minor bodies moving in orbits with an inclination above 40° has increased in recent years. The origin of these bodies, and in particular of those objects in retrograde orbits, is notCosta, E. et al.
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22013 -
Exploring the nature of new main-belt comets with the 10.4 m GTC telescope: (300163) 2006 VW139Aims: We aim to study the dust ejected by main-belt comet (MBC) (300163) 2006 VW139 to obtain information on the ejection mechanism and the spectral properties of the object. This will help to see if they are compatible with those of "normal" comets. Methods: Broad-band images in the g and r band as well as a low-resolution spectrum in the 0.35-0.9Cabrera-Lavers, A. et al.
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22013 -
Albedo and atmospheric constraints of dwarf planet Makemake from a stellar occultationPluto and Eris are icy dwarf planets with nearly identical sizes, comparable densities and similar surface compositions as revealed by spectroscopic studies. Pluto possesses an atmosphere whereas Eris does not; the difference probably arises from their differing distances from the Sun, and explains their different albedos. Makemake is another icyEmilio, M. et al.
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112012 -
A Short-duration Event as the Cause of Dust Ejection from Main-Belt Comet P/2012 F5 (Gibbs)We present observations and an interpretative model of the dust environment of the Main-Belt Comet P/2010 F5 (Gibbs). The narrow dust trails observed can be interpreted unequivocally as an impulsive event that took place around 2011 July 1 with an uncertainty of ±10 days, and a duration of less than a day, possibly of the order of a few hours. TheMoreno, F. et al.
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122012
