Publications (24)
Basaltic material in the main belt: a tale of two (or more) parent bodies?
S. Ieva, E. Dotto, D. Lazzaro +5
The majority of basaltic objects in the main belt are dynamically connected to Vesta, the largest differentiated asteroid known. Others, due to their current orbital parameters, ca…
The spectrum of (136199) Eris between 350 and 2350 nm: Results with X-Shooter
A. Alvarez-Candal, N. Pinilla-Alonso, J. Licandro +7
X-Shooter is the first second-generation instrument for the ESO-VLT. It as a spectrograph covering the 300 - 2480 nm spectral range at once with a high resolving power. These prope…
Short-term variability on the surface of (1) Ceres. A changing amount of water ice?
D. Perna, Z. KaÅuchová, S. Ieva +5
Context: The dwarf planet (1) Ceres - next target of the NASA Dawn mission - is the largest body in the asteroid main belt; although several observations of this body have been per…
Physical Investigation of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (144898) 2004 VD17
F. De Luise, D. Perna, E. Dotto +9
In this paper we present the observational campaign carried out at ESO NTT and VLT in April and May 2006 to investigate the nature and the structure of the Near Earth Object (14489…
Spectral variability on primitive asteroids of the Themis and Beagle families: space weathering effects or parent body heterogeneity?
S. Fornasier, C. Lantz, D. Perna +3
Themis is an old and statistically robust asteroid family populating the outer main belt, and resulting from a catastrophic collision that took place 2.51.0 Gyr ago. Within th…
"TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region X. Analysis of classical Kuiper belt objects from Herschel and Spitzer observations
E. Vilenius, C. Kiss, T. Müller +14
The classical Kuiper belt contains objects both from a low-inclination, presumably primordial, distribution and from a high-inclination dynamically excited population. Based on a s…
Spectral characterization of V-type asteroids - II. A statistical analysis
S. Ieva, E. Dotto, D. Lazzaro +3
In recent years several small basaltic V-type asteroids have been identified all around the main belt. Most of them are members of the Vesta dynamical family, but an increasingly l…
Colors and taxonomy of Centaurs and Trans-Neptunian Objects
D. Perna, M. A. Barucci, S. Fornasier +6
The study of the surface properties of Centaurs and Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) provides essential information about the early conditions and evolution of the outer Solar System…
Olivine-rich asteroids in the near-Earth space
M. Popescu, D. Perna, M. A. Barucci +6
In the framework of a 30-night spectroscopic survey of small near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) we present new results regarding the identification of olivine-rich objects. The following…
Non-gravitational Perturbations and Virtual Impactors: the case of asteroid 2009 FD
F. Spoto, A. Milani, D. Farnocchia +5
Asteroid 2009 FD could impact Earth between 2185 and 2196. The long term propagation to the possible impacts and the intervening planetary encounters make 2009 FD one of the most c…
Visible spectroscopy of the new ESO Large Program on trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs: final results
S. Fornasier, M. A. Barucci, C. de Bergh +8
A second large programme (LP) for the physical studies of TNOs and Centaurs, started at ESO Cerro Paranal on October 2006 to obtain high-quality data, has recently been concluded.…
An investigation of the low-DeltaV near-Earth asteroids (341843) 2008 EV5 and (52381) 1993 HA. Two suitable targets for the ARM and MarcoPolo-M5 space missions
D. Perna, M. Popescu, F. Monteiro +3
The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) under development by NASA is being planned to collect a multi-meter boulder from a near-Earth asteroid (NEA), and to bring it to the cis-lunar s…
Physical properties of ESA Rosetta target asteroid (21) Lutetia: Shape and flyby geometry
B. Carry, M. Kaasalainen, C. Leyrat +22
Aims. We determine the physical properties (spin state and shape) of asteroid (21) Lutetia, target of the ESA Rosetta mission, to help in preparing for observations during the flyb…
Low delta-V near-Earth asteroids: A survey of suitable targets for space missions
S. Ieva, E. Dotto, D. Perna +7
In the last decades Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) have become very important targets to study, since they can give us clues to the formation, evolution and composition of the Solar Sys…
Inhomogeneities on the surface of 21 Lutetia, the asteroid target of the Rosetta mission
D. Perna, E. Dotto, M. Lazzarin +6
CONTEXT: In July 2010 the ESA spacecraft Rosetta will fly-by the main belt asteroid 21 Lutetia. Several observations of this asteroid have been so far performed, but its surface co…
A Peculiar Family of Jupiter Trojans: the Eurybates
F. De Luise, E. Dotto, S. Fornasier +4
The Eurybates family is a compact core inside the Menelaus clan, located in the L4 swarm of Jupiter Trojans. Fornasier et al. (2007) found that this family exhibits a peculiar abun…
NEOROCKS project: surface properties of small near-Earth asteroids
T. Hromakina, M. Birlan, M. A. Barucci +11
We present new results of the observing program which is a part of the NEOROCKS project aimed to improve knowledge on physical properties of near-Earth Objects (NEOs) for planetary…
Size, albedo and rotational period of the Hayabusa2# target (98943) 2001 CC21
S. Fornasier, E. Dotto, P. Panuzzo +8
This study aims to determine the size, albedo and rotational period of (98943) 2001 CC21, target of the Hayabusa2 extended mission, using thermal data from the Spitzer Space telesc…
Long-term photometric monitoring of the dwarf planet (136472) Makemake
T. A. Hromakina, I. N. Belskaya, Yu. N. Krugly +17
We studied the rotational properties of the dwarf planet Makemake. The photometric observations were carried out at different telescopes between 2006 and 2017. Most of the measurem…
Photometric observations of nine Transneptunian objects and Centaurs
T. Hromakina, D. Perna, I. Belskaya +3
We present the results of photometric observations of six Transneptunian objects and three Centaurs, estimations of their rotational periods and corresponding amplitudes. For six o…
Detection of exposed HO ice on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
M. A. Barucci, G. Filacchione, S. Fornasier +42
Since the orbital insertion of the Rosetta spacecraft, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) has been mapped by OSIRIS camera and VIRTIS spectro-imager, producing a huge quanti…
"TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region VI. Herschel/PACS observations and thermal modeling of 19 classical Kuiper belt objects
E. Vilenius, C. Kiss, M. Mommert +20
Trans-Neptunian objects (TNO) represent the leftovers of the formation of the Solar System. Their physical properties provide constraints to the models of formation and evolution o…
Compositional properties of planet-crossing asteroids from astronomical surveys
A. V. Sergeyev, B. Carry, M. Marsset +8
Context. The study of planet-crossing asteroids is of both practical and fundamental importance. As they are closer than asteroids in the Main Belt, we have access to a smaller siz…
Photometric survey of 67 near-Earth objects
S. Ieva, E. Dotto, E. Mazzotta Epifani +9
The near-Earth object (NEO) population is a window into the original conditions of the protosolar nebula, and has the potential to provide a key pathway for the delivery of water a…