Photometric observations of Earth‐impacting asteroid 2008 TC3

Abstract– A calibrated lightcurve is presented of the near‐Earth asteroid 2008 TC₃, obtained before it impacted Earth on October 7, 2008. The asteroid was observed in unfiltered images from the end of astronomical twilight until the object entered Earth’s shadow about 2 h later. The observations covered a wide range of phase angles from 14.79° to 2.93°, during which the asteroid ranged from 82,000 km to 29,000 km distance from the observer. A method is presented for obtaining photometrically filtered brightness values for the asteroid using unfiltered imaging techniques. Over 1,700 images of the asteroid produce a lightcurve with a peak‐to‐peak variation in V of 0.76 magnitude. Analysis of the lightcurve yields values for H = 30.86 ± 0.01 and G = 0.33 ± 0.03. Combined with other constraints on the kinetic energy and diameter of the asteroid, which suggest a low 1.8 g cm^?3 density and albedo 0.05 ± 0.01, the value of H implies an asteroid of about 4.1 m in diameter, 28 m³ in volume, and 51,000 kg in mass. The determined value of G is out of range for normal, larger asteroids of albedo 0.05–0.15.     

On the impact of the Yarkovsky effect on Apophis’ orbit

In October 2009, a new set of optical observations of Apophis, a potentially hazardous asteroid, was published. These data have significantly expanded the interval of observations and their total number. In the article we compare the results of refinement of Apophis’ orbit made at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL, United States), the University of Pisa (Italy), and the Institute of Applied Astronomy (IAA) of the Russian Academy of Sciences with consideration for new observations. New orbits lead to a significant decrease in the probability of Apophis’ collision with the Earth in 2036. As a result of processing a large number of observations of asteroids approaching the Earth and main belt asteroids less than 40 km in size, with a large number of optical and, in many cases, radar observations in different oppositions, one of the authors revealed that additional acceleration affects their motion. This acceleration can be represented by the transversal component A ₂ in the orbital coordinate system. The presence of this acceleration can be interpreted as the Yarkovsky effect. The statistical properties of distribution of A ₂ for asteroids, for which it is determined quite reliably, evidence in favor of this interpretation. The value of additional acceleration for bodies the size of Apophis falls in the range ±10⁻¹³ AU/day². In this paper we have calculated the probability of Apophis colliding with the Earth in 2036 at different values of the transversal component of additional acceleration A ₂. For the resulting points, a plot of the probability of the collision against the A ₂ value has been constructed. At A ₂ = −8.748 × 10⁻¹⁴ AU/day² (and zero values of the radial A ₁ and normal A ₃ components) the nominal solution for Apophis’ orbit on April 13, 2029, is only 90 m from the middle of a “keyhole” 600 m in width, which leads to a collision of Apophis with the Earth in 2036. Since the scattering ellipse in the target plane in 2029 significantly overlaps the keyhole, the probability of collision at the given additional acceleration value is 0.0022. This result has been verified by the Monte Carlo method. Tests of 10000 random sets of orbital elements, which were found taking into account their correlation, have shown that 22 cases have resulted in virtual asteroids colliding with Earth in 2036. A plot of the probability of the collision against the value of A ₂ has been constructed.     

554 Peraga—an asteroid with unusual polarization properties?

This paper presents the results of polarization observations of asteroid 554 Peraga obtained with the UBVRI polarimeter using the 1.25 m telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory down to phase angles of 3.1°–16.6° from October to November 2006. The asteroid’s polarization phase curve is shown to have a negative branch with the parameters P _min = −1.7% and α_min = 8.4°, which is typical of C-type asteroids. However, these data contradict the results of Zellner and Gradie (1976) obtained in March 1975 that the reflected light from the asteroid’s surface is positively polarized, ≈1% at phase angles of 8°–10°. Since the asteroid’s ecliptic longitudes differ by 160°-145° for the two observation periods, we discuss the possibility that the two sets of observations refer to the asteroid’s two hemispheres with different polarimetric properties.     

Astrometric and photometric studies of the 2009 WZ104 asteroid as it approached the earth

The astrometric and photometric observations of the potentially hazardous 2009 WZ104 asteroid were carried out at the MTM-500M and ZA-320M automatic telescopes of the Pulkovo Observatory in December 2009. A total of 686 observations were performed in the integral band and 146 observations with B, V, R, and I filters on an arc of the orbit of 17°; these accounted for about 77% of all worldwide observations (). On the basis of the obtained data, the orbit was improved and an estimation of the physical parameters of the asteroid was made. Estimates of the absolute stellar magnitude of the asteroid, H = (20.52 ± 0.04) ^m , as well as its size and mass, were obtained. The taxonomic class of the 2009 WZ104 asteroid (R or Q) was determined. A frequency analysis of the series of observations was carried out; periodicities in the asteroid’s light variation were revealed using this method.     

Shapes and Pole Orientations of Asteroids (360) Carlova and (209) Dido

Several light-curves of asteroid (360) Carlova and (209) Dido in different epochs were analyzed to determine shapes and pole orientations by means of AM-method and least squares method. New values of a/b, b/c, λ _p and β _p for asteroid (360) Carlova were obtained, which are 1.52°, 1.5°, 120 ± 6° and 66 ± 7°, respectively. We report a first determination of the parameters of (209) Dido which are 1.3°, 1.1°, 221 ± 6° and 37 ± 3°, respectively.     

Polarimetry and BVRI photometry of the potentially hazardous near-Earth Asteroid (23187) 2000 PN9

The results of V-band polarimetric observations of the potentially hazardous near-Earth Asteroid (23187) 2000 PN₉ at large phase angles are presented as well as its photometric observations in BVRI bands. Observations were made in March-April 2006 during its close approach to the Earth using the 1.82-m Asiago telescope (Italy) and the 0.7-m telescope at the Chuguevskaya Observational Station (Ukraine). We obtained polarimetric measurements at the phase angle of 115°, the largest phase angle ever observed in asteroid polarimetry. Our data show that the maximum value of the polarization phase curve reached 7.7% and occurred in the phase angle range of 90-115°. The measured values of linear polarization degree, BVRI colors and magnitude-phase dependence correspond to the S-type composition of this asteroid. Based on our observations the following characteristics of the Asteroid (23187) 2000 PN₉ were obtained: a rotation period of 2.5325±0.0004 h, a lightcurve amplitude of 0.13 mag, an albedo of 0.24±0.06 and a diameter of 1.6±0.3 km.     

Peak-Size Distributions of Proton Fluxes and Associated Soft X-Ray Flares

A database combining information about solar proton enhancements (SPEs) near the Earth and soft X-ray flares (GOES measurements) has been used for the study of different correlations through the period from 1975 to May 2006. The emphasis of this work is on the treatment of peak-size distributions of SXR flares and SPEs. The frequency of SXR flares and solar proton events (>10 and >100 MeV, respectively) for the past three solar cycles has been found to follow mainly a power-law distribution over three to five orders of magnitude of fluxes, which is physically correct beyond the “sensitivity” problem with the smallest peak values. The absence of significant spectral steepening in the domain of the highest peak values demonstrates that during the period considered, lasting 30 years, the limit of the highest flare’s energy release has not yet been achieved. The power-law exponents were found to be −2.19±0.04, −1.34±0.02, and −1.46±0.04, for the total SXR flare distribution and the total SPE distributions (for both E _P>10 MeV and E _P>100 MeV), respectively. For SPEs associated with flares located to the West of 20° W, the exponents are −1.22±0.05 (E _P>10 MeV) and −1.26±0.03 (E _P>100 MeV). The size distribution for corresponding flares follows a power law with a slope of −1.29±0.12. Thus, X-ray and proton fluxes produced in the same solar events have very similar distribution shapes. Moreover, the derived slopes are not incompatible with a linear dependence between X-ray flare power and proton fluxes near the Earth. A similar statistical relation is obtained independently from the direct comparison of the X-ray and proton fluxes. These all argue for a statistically significant relationship between X-ray and proton emissions.     

Astrometry and photometry of asteroid (308635) 2005 YU55

Astrometric and photometric observations of asteroid (308635) 2005 YU55 were carried out at the computer-aided ZA-320M and MTM-500M telescopes of the Pulkovo observatory in the period of its closest approach to the Earth, from November 9 to 20, 2011. The new orbit of the asteroid changed after its close approach to the Earth was determined. From this orbit, a close approach to Venus on January 19, 2029, was precalculated, and the distance at the closest approach—359000 km—was estimated. From the analysis of the acquired photometric data, the axial rotation period of the asteroid was more accurately determined, and it amounted to 16.3 ± 0.4 h. The color indexes of the asteroid, B-V, V-R, and R-I, were estimated, which allowed the taxonomic class of the asteroid, B, to be determined from them. In addition, from our photometric observations of the asteroid, the earlier unknown change in its brightness with a period of 0.9–1.2 h was detected; the cause of this change has not been completely studied yet.     

Electron Temperatures and Flow Speeds of the Low Solar Corona: MACS Results from the Total Solar Eclipse of 29 March 2006 in Libya

An experiment was conducted in conjunction with the total solar eclipse on 29 March 2006 in Libya to measure both the electron temperature and its flow speed simultaneously at multiple locations in the low solar corona by measuring the visible K-coronal spectrum. Coronal model spectra incorporating the effects of electron temperature and its flow speed were matched with the measured K-coronal spectra to interpret the observations. Results show electron temperatures of (1.10±0.05) MK, (0.70±0.08) MK, and (0.98±0.12) MK, at 1.1 R _⊙ from Sun center in the solar north, east and west, respectively, and (0.93±0.12) MK, at 1.2 R _⊙ from Sun center in the solar west. The corresponding outflow speeds obtained from the spectral fit are (103±92) km s⁻¹, (0+10) km s⁻¹, (0+10) km s⁻¹, and (0+10) km s⁻¹. Since the observations were taken only at 1.1 R _⊙ and 1.2 R _⊙ from Sun center, these speeds, consistent with zero outflow, are in agreement with expectations and provide additional confirmation that the spectral fitting method is working. The electron temperature at 1.1 R _⊙ from Sun center is larger at the north (polar region) than the east and west (equatorial region).     

Accuracy and Limitations of Fitting and Stereoscopic Methods to Determine the Direction of Coronal Mass Ejections from Heliospheric Imagers Observations

Using data from the Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) onboard STEREO, it is possible to derive the direction of propagation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in addition to their speed with a variety of methods. For CMEs observed by both STEREO spacecraft, it is possible to derive their direction using simultaneous observations from the twin spacecraft and also, using observations from only one spacecraft with fitting methods. This makes it possible to test and compare different analysis techniques. In this article, we propose a new fitting method based on observations from one spacecraft, which we compare to the commonly used fitting method of Sheeley et al. (J. Geophys. Res. 104, 24739, 1999). We also compare the results from these two fitting methods with those from two stereoscopic methods, focusing on 12 CMEs observed simultaneously by the two STEREO spacecraft in 2008 and 2009. We find evidence that the fitting method of Sheeley et al. (J. Geophys. Res. 104, 24739, 1999) may result in significant errors in the determination of the CME direction when the CME propagates outside of 60°±20° from the Sun – spacecraft line. We expect our new fitting method to be better adapted to the analysis of halo or limb CMEs with respect to the observing spacecraft. We also find some evidence that direct triangulation in the HI fields-of-view should only be applied to CMEs propagating approximatively toward Earth (± 20° from the Sun – Earth line). Last, we address one of the possible sources of errors of fitting methods: the assumption of radial propagation. Using stereoscopic methods, we find that at least seven of the 12 studied CMEs had a heliospheric deflection of less than 20° as they propagated in the HI fields-of-view, which, we believe, validates this approximation.     

Results of Complex Observations of Asteroid (596) Scheila at the Sanglokh International Astronomical Observatory

Results of astrometric and BVRI photometric observations of the active asteroid (596) Scheila are presented. The observations were carried out at the Zeiss-1000 telescope of the Sanglokh International Astronomical Observatory of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan on June 16?17 and from July 30 to August 1, 2017. The coordinates of the object and its orbit were determined; and the apparent brightness in four filters, the absolute brightness in the V and R filters, and the color indices were obtained. The light curves suggest that no substantial changes in the asteroid’s brightness occurred during the observations. The absolute brightness of the asteroid in the V and R filters was (9.1 ± 0.05)^m and (8.8 ± 0.03)^m, respectively. The mean value of the asteroid diameter was (119 ± 2) km. The mean values of the color indices (B?V = (0.72 ± 0.05)^m, V?R = (0.29 ± 0.03)^m, and R?I = (0.31 ± 0.03)^m) agree well with the values for asteroids of the P- and D-types and its averages. The rotation period of the asteroid estimated from photometric observations was 16.1 ± 0.2 h. The analysis of the data has shown that the asteroid continues to exhibit the same values of absolute brightness and other characteristics as those before the collision with a small body in December 2010, though the latter resulted in the outburst event and cometary activity of the asteroid. Most likely, the collision of asteroid (596) Scheila with a small body did not lead to catastrophic changes in the surface of the asteroid or to its compete break-up.     

Small-scale galactic emission fluctuation observations with RATAN-600 radio telescope

We present the estimates of Galactic synchrotron and free-free emission power at intermediate and small scales (500 < l < 1000, 20′ < θ < 40′), based on the RATAN-600 radio telescope observations (SAO RAS). The observations were conducted in the frequency range of 2.3–11.2 GHz using the transit scan mode, in the declination range of 40.7° s δ < 42.3°. The power spectrum estimates of synchrotron and free-free components were obtained. They can be further used in the data processing stage of the high-resolution cosmological experiments like Planck.     

STEREO SECCHI COR1-A/B Intercalibration at 180° Separation

The twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft reached a separation angle of 180° on 6 February 2011. This provided a unique opportunity to test the intercalibration between the Sun–Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) telescopes on both spacecraft for areas above the limb. So long as the corona is optically thin, at 180° separation each spacecraft sees the same corona from opposite directions. Thus, the data should appear as mirror images of each other. We report here on the results of the comparison of the images taken by the inner coronagraph (COR1) on the STEREO-Ahead and -Behind spacecraft in the hours when the separation was close to 180°. We find that the intensity values seen by the two telescopes agree with each other to a high degree of accuracy. This validates both the radiometric intercalibration between the COR1 telescopes, and the method used to remove instrumental background from the images. The relative error between COR1-A and COR1-B is found to be less than 10⁻⁹ B/B _⊙ over most of the field-of-view, growing to a few ×10⁻⁹ B/B _⊙ for the brighter pixels near the edge of the occulter. The primary source of error is the background determination. We also report on the analysis of star observations which show that the absolute radiometric calibration of either COR1 telescope has not changed significantly since launch.     

Magnetic field of the young star RW Aur

Results of ourmeasurements of the longitudinal magnetic field B _z for the young star RWAur A are presented. B _z measured from the so-called narrow component of the He I 5876 line varies in the range from −1.47 ± 0.15 to +1.10 ± 0.15 kG. Our data are consistent with a stellar rotation period of }~5.6 days and the model of two hot spots with opposite magnetic field polarities spaced about 180° apart in longitude. Relative to the Earth, the spot with B _z < 0 lies in the hemisphere above the midplane of the accretion disk, while the spot with B _z > 0 is below the midplane. The upper limit for B _z (at the 3σ level) obtained by averaging all observations is 180 G for the photosphere and 220 and 230 G for the Hα and [OI] 6300 line formation regions, respectively. We have also failed to detect a field in the formation region of broad emission line components: the upper limit for B _z is 600 G. In two of 11 cases, we have detected a magnetic field in the formation region of the blue absorption wing of the Na I D doublet lines, i.e., in the wind from RW Aur A: B _z = −180 ± 50 and −810 ± 80 G. The radial velocity of the photospheric lines in RW Aur A averaged over all our observations is }~+10.5 km s⁻¹, i.e., a value lower than that obtained by Petrov et al. (2001) ten years earlier by 5.5 km s⁻¹. Therefore, we discuss the possibility that RW Aur is not a binary but a triple system.     

Origin and history of ureilitic material in the solar system: The view from asteroid 2008 TC3 and the Almahata Sitta meteorite

Asteroid 2008 TC₃ (approximately 4 m diameter) was tracked and studied in space for approximately 19 h before it impacted Earth's atmosphere, shattering at 44–36 km altitude. The recovered samples (>680 individual rocks) comprise the meteorite Almahata Sitta (AhS). Approximately 50–70% of these are ureilites (ultramafic achondrites). The rest are chondrites, mainly enstatite, ordinary, and Rumuruti types. The goal of this work is to understand how fragments of so many different types of parent bodies became mixed in the same asteroid. Almahata Sitta has been classified as a polymict ureilite with an anomalously high component of foreign clasts. However, we calculate that the mass of fallen material was ≤0.1% of the pre‐atmospheric mass of the asteroid. Based on published data for the reflectance spectrum of the asteroid and laboratory spectra of the samples, we infer that the lost material was mostly ureilitic. Therefore, 2008 TC₃ probably contained only a few percent nonureilitic materials, similar to other polymict ureilites except less well consolidated. From available data for the AhS meteorite fragments, we conclude that 2008 TC₃ samples essentially the same range of types of ureilitic and nonureilitic materials as other polymict ureilites. We therefore suggest that the immediate parent of 2008 TC₃ was the immediate parent of all ureilitic material sampled on Earth. We trace critical stages in the evolution of that material through solar system history. Based on various types of new modeling and re‐evaluation of published data, we propose the following scenario. (1) The ureilite parent body (UPB) accreted 0.5–0.6 Ma after formation of calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAI), beyond the ice line (outer asteroid belt). Differentiation began approximately 1 Ma after CAI. (2) The UPB was catastrophically disrupted by a major impact approximately 5 Ma after CAI, with selective subsets of the fragments reassembling into daughter bodies. (3) Either the UPB (before breakup), or one of its daughters (after breakup), migrated to the inner belt due to scattering by massive embryos. (4) One daughter (after forming in or migrating to the inner belt) became the parent of 2008 TC₃. It developed a regolith, mostly ≥3.8 Ga ago. Clasts of enstatite, ordinary, and Rumuruti‐type chondrites were implanted by low‐velocity collisions. (5) Recently, the daughter was disrupted. Fragments were injected or drifted into Earth‐crossing orbits. 2008 TC₃ comes from outer layers of regolith, other polymict ureilites from deeper regolith, and main group ureilites from the interior of this body. In contrast to other models that have been proposed, this model invokes a stochastic history to explain the unique diversity of foreign materials in 2008 TC₃ and other polymict ureilites.     

Observations of Near-Earth Asteroids in Polarized Light

We report the results of position, photometric, and polarimetric observations of two near-Earth asteroids made with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 1.2-hour measurements of the photometric variations of the asteroid 2009 DL46 made onMarch 8, 2016 (approximately 20^m at a distance of about 0.23 AU from the Earth) showed a 0.^m2-amplitude flash with a duration of about 20 minutes. During this time the polarization degree increased from the average level of 2–3% to 14%. The angle of the polarization plane and the phase angle were equal to 113° ± 1° and 43°, respectively. Our result indicates that the surface of the rotating asteroid (the rotation period of about 2.5 hours) must be non-uniformly rough. Observations of another asteroid—1994 UG—whose brightness was of about 17^m and which was located at a geocentric distance of 0.077 AU, were carried out during the night of March 6/7, 2016 in two modes: photometric and spectropolarimetric. According to the results of photometric observations in Johnson’s B-, V-, and R-band filters, over one hour the brightness of the asteroid remained unchanged within the measurement errors (about 0.^m02). Spectropolarimetric observations in the 420–800 nm wavelength interval showed the polarization degree to decrease from 8% in the blue part of the spectrum to 2% in the red part with the phase angle equal to 44?, which is typical for S-type near-Earth asteroids.     

SARG: The High Resolution Spectrograph of TNG

SARG is a cross dispersed echelle spectrograph in operation since late spring 2000 at the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) 3.5 m telescope, La Palma. SARG offers both single object and long slit (up to 26 arcsec) observing modes covering a spectral range from λ = 0.37 up to1 μm, with resolution ranging from R = 29,000 up to R = 164,000. Cross dispersion is provided by means of a selection of four grisms; interference filters may be used for the long slit mode (up to 26 arcsec). A dioptric camera images the cross dispersed spectra onto a mosaic of two 2048 × 4096 EEV CCDs (pixel size: 13.5 μm) allowing complete spectral coverage at all resolving power for λ < 0.8 μm. In order to reach a high wavelength calibration precision an iodine-absorbing cell is provided. A Distributed Active Temperature Control System (DATCS) maintains constant the temperature of all spectrograph components at a preset value. Early results show that SARG works according to original specifications in terms of wavelength coverage, efficiency (measured peak efficiency is about 13%),resolution (maximum resolution R = 164,000 using a 0.3 arcsec slit, R ∼144,000 using an image slicer), and stability (preliminary estimates of radial velocity accuracy is ∼3 m/s using the iodine cell and ±150 m/s without the iodine cell). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A concept for providing warning of earth impacts by small asteroids

The atmospheric detonation of a 17 m-asteroid above Chelyabinsk, Russia on 2013 February 15 shows that even small asteroids can cause extensive damage. Earth-based telescopes have found smaller harmless objects, such as 2008 TC3, a 4 m-asteroid that was discovered 20h before it exploded over northeastern Sudan (Jenniskens, 2009). 2008 TC3 remains the only asteroid discovered before it hit Earth because it approached Earth from the night side, where it was observed by large telescopes searching for near-Earth objects (NEO’s). The larger object that exploded over Chelyabinsk approached Earth from the day side, from too close to the Sun to be detected from Earth. A sizeable telescope in an orbit about the Sun-Earth L1 (SE-L1) libration point could find objects like the “Chelyabinsk” asteroid approaching approximately from the line of sight to the Sun about a day before Earth closest approach. Such a system would have the astrometric accuracy needed to determine the time and impact zone for a NEO on a collision course. This would give at least several hours, and usually 2–4 days, to take protective measures, rather than the approximately two-minute interval between the flash and shock wave arrival that occurred in Chelyabinsk. A perhaps even more important reason for providing warning of these events, even smaller harmless ones that explode high in the atmosphere with the force of an atomic bomb, is to prevent mistaking such an event for a nuclear attack that could trigger a devastating nuclear war. A concept using a space telescope similar to that needed for an SE-L1 monitoring satellite, is already conceived by the B612 Foundation, whose planned Sentinel Space Telescope could find nearly all 140 m and larger NEO’s, including those in orbits mostly inside the Earth’s orbit that are hard to find with Earth-based telescopes, from a Venus-like orbit (Lu, 2013). Few modifications would be needed to the Sentinel Space Telescope to operate in a SE-L1 orbit, 0.01 AU from Earth towards the Sun, to find most asteroids larger than about 5 meters that approach the Earth from the solar direction. The spacecraft would scan 165 square degrees of the sky around the Earth every hour, finding asteroids when they are brightest (small phase angle) as they approach Earth. We will undertake Monte Carlo studies to see what fraction of asteroids 5 m and larger approaching from the Sun might be found by such a mission, and how much warning time might typically be expected. Also, we will check the overall coverage for all Earth-approaching NEO’s, including ground-based observations and observations by the recently-launched NEOSSat, which may best fill any gaps in coverage between that provided by an SE-L1 telescope and ground-based surveys. Many of the objects as large as 50 m, like the one that created Meteor Crater in Arizona, will not be found by current NEO surveys, while they would usually be seen by this possible mission even if they approached from the direction of the Sun. We should give better warning for future “Bolts out of the blue.”     

V2213 Cyg is a New W Uma-Type System

V2213 Cyg was discovered as a variable star by Pavlenko (1999) in 1998. We present our photometry of V2213 Cyg from 1998–2003 based on CCD observations with the K-380 Cassegrain telescope of CrAO and the 60 cm Zeiss telescope of SAI. Observations have been carried out mostly in R and sometimes in B and V Johnson system. The total amount of data is 2270 points, covering ∼50 nights. We classify this binary as a W UMa-type contact system. Using all data we determined the orbital period to be 0.350079 ± 0.000007 day. The mean brightness varies between R = 14.35 and 14.05. The mean 1999–2003 orbital light curve has two humps and a primary minimum (I), which is 0.04 mag brighter than the deeper secondary one (II). The mean humps have slightly different height. The difference between two individual maxima varies within 0.1 mag, which may indicate an activity of the components. The highest hump is an asymmetrical one: it has sort of a shoulder at phases 0.75–0.80, before entering the less deep primary minimum (phase 0.0). The system is rather reddened, its colour indices are: B−V ∼ 0.8 and V−R ∼ 0.7, and give a spectral class of V2213 Cyg earlier than K.     

The first samples from Almahata Sitta showing contacts between ureilitic and chondritic lithologies: Implications for the structure and composition of asteroid 2008 TC3

Almahata Sitta (AhS), an anomalous polymict ureilite, is the first meteorite observed to originate from a spectrally classified asteroid (2008 TC₃). However, correlating properties of the meteorite with those of the asteroid is not straightforward because the AhS stones are diverse types. Of those studied prior to this work, 70–80% are ureilites (achondrites) and 20–30% are various types of chondrites. Asteroid 2008 TC₃ was a heterogeneous breccia that disintegrated in the atmosphere, with its clasts landing on Earth as individual stones and most of its mass lost. We describe AhS 91A and AhS 671, which are the first AhS stones to show contacts between ureilitic and chondritic materials and provide direct information about the structure and composition of asteroid 2008 TC₃. AhS 91A and AhS 671 are friable breccias, consisting of a C1 lithology that encloses rounded to angular clasts (<10 μm to 3 mm) of olivine, pyroxenes, plagioclase, graphite, and metal‐sulfide, as well as chondrules (~130–600 μm) and chondrule fragments. The C1 material consists of fine‐grained phyllosilicates (serpentine and saponite) and amorphous material, magnetite, breunnerite, dolomite, fayalitic olivine (Fo 28‐42), an unidentified Ca‐rich silicate phase, Fe,Ni sulfides, and minor Ca‐phosphate and ilmenite. It has similarities to CI1 but shows evidence of heterogeneous thermal metamorphism. Its bulk oxygen isotope composition (δ¹⁸O = 13.53‰, δ¹⁷O = 8.93‰) is unlike that of any known chondrite, but similar to compositions of several CC‐like clasts in typical polymict ureilites. Its Cr isotope composition is unlike that of any known meteorite. The enclosed clasts and chondrules do not belong to the C1 lithology. The olivine (Fo 75‐88), pyroxenes (pigeonite of Wo ~10 and orthopyroxene of Wo ~4.6), plagioclase, graphite, and some metal‐sulfide are ureilitic, based on mineral compositions, textures, and oxygen isotope compositions, and represent at least six distinct ureilitic lithologies. The chondrules are probably derived from type 3 OC and/or CC, based on mineral and oxygen isotope compositions. Some of the metal‐sulfide clasts are derived from EC. AhS 91A and AhS 671 are plausible representatives of the bulk of the asteroid that was lost. Reflectance spectra of AhS 91A are dark (reflectance ~0.04–0.05) and relatively featureless in VNIR, and have an ~2.7 μm absorption band due to OH^? in phyllosilicates. Spectral modeling, using mixtures of laboratory VNIR reflectance spectra of AhS stones to fit the F‐type spectrum of the asteroid, suggests that 2008 TC₃ consisted mainly of ureilitic and AhS 91A‐like materials, with as much as 40–70% of the latter, and <10% of OC, EC, and other meteorite types. The bulk density of AhS 91A (2.35 ± 0.05 g cm^?3) is lower than bulk densities of other AhS stones, and closer to estimates for the asteroid (~1.7–2.2 g cm^?3). Its porosity (36%) is near the low end of estimates for the asteroid (33–50%), suggesting significant macroporosity. The textures of AhS 91A and AhS 671 (finely comminuted clasts of disparate materials intimately mixed) support formation of 2008 TC₃ in a regolith environment. AhS 91A and AhS 671 could represent a volume of regolith formed when a CC‐like body impacted into already well‐gardened ureilitic + impactor‐derived debris. AhS 91A bulk samples do not show a solar wind component, so they represent subsurface layers. AhS 91A has a lower cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age (~5–9 Ma) than previously studied AhS stones (11–22 Ma). The spread in CRE ages argues for irradiation in a regolith environment. AhS 91A and AhS 671 show that ureilitic asteroids could have detectable ~2.7 μm absorption bands.