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General
Este Proyecto estudia las propiedades físicas y composicionales de los llamados pequeños cuerpos del Sistema Solar, que incluyen asteroides, objetos helados y cometas. Entre los grupos de mayor interés destacan los objetos trans-neptunianos (TNOs), incluyendo los objetos más lejanos detectados hasta la fecha (Extreme-TNOs o ETNOs); los cometas, y los objetos transicionales cometa-asteroide (Centauros y los llamados Main Belt Comets - MBCs); los asteroides primitivos. Los dos últimos grupos contienen el material más primordial y prístino del Sistema Solar son claves para comprender su origen y evolución. Se destacan entre los asteroides aquellos que se acercan a la órbita de la Tierra (near-Earth asteroids o NEAs), así como los considerados potencialmente peligrosos (Potentially Hazardous Asteroids o PHAs). Debido a su cercanía, los NEAs son los objetos más accesibles al estudio in-situ con misiones espaciales y su futura explotación como fuente de materias primas (asteroid mining). Se destaca el liderazgo por parte del IP del grupo de un survey espectroscópico (visible e infrarrojo cercano) de asteroids primitivos (PRIMitive Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey - PRIMASS). Este proyecto ha recibido financiación de la NASA (17-PDART17_2-0097, IP: N. Pinilla-Alonso, 137.000€ - 2 años) para archivar todos estos espectros (más de 800) en el Small Bodies Node del NASA Planetary Data System.
Los estudios de composición superficial y propiedades físicas y térmicas de estos cuerpos se llevan a cabo utilizando espectroscopia en un amplio rango de longitudes de onda (desde 0.35 a 24 micras), así como imagen y fotometría en el mismo rango. Los datos se interpretan utilizando modelos de scattering y termo-físicos. El proyecto trabaja además en el análisis de las propiedades físicas de los núcleos cometarios y de las propiedades del polvo y el gas en las comas cometarias, muy especialmente en el estudio del polvo en las colas de los MBCs y de los mecanismos por los cuales se emite.
Este grupo mantiene diversas colaboraciones internacionales con otros grupos entre las que podemos destacar: (1) la pertenencia al Grupo de Ciencia de la misión de NASA OSIRIS-REx, en concreto al "Image Processing Working Group", en donde se encarga del tratamiento de los mapas de color que se están obteniendo actualmente con las cámaras OCAMS; (2) la pertenencia al núcleo central de proponentes de las misiones M5 de ESA CASTALIA, CASTAway y Hera; (3) la coordinación de un grupo internacional de estudio de NEAs llamado EURONEAR (European Near Earth Asteroid Research); (4) la pertenencia al "Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science" (CLASS, NASA); (5) la integración en el grupo de Sistema Solar de la misión Euclid; (6) la participación activa en los surveys J-PLUS y J-PASS, en los que trabaja en la explotación de las observaciones de objetos del Sistema Solar; (7) la pertenencia a los grupos de trabajo de Sistema Solar de los telescopios Gaia y JWST.
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Actividad científica
Publicaciones relacionadas
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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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
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.
Fecha de publicación:
122012
