Long-lasting activity of asteroid (248370) 2005 QN 173

Abstract

We present the results of observations of asteroid (248370) QN${}_{173}$ obtained during July 2021 - January 2022 with three telescopes. Our analysis revealed the presence of the dust tail for about half of a year. The direct images of the asteroid were obtained with broad-band filters. No emissions were revealed in the spectra, and the spectrum of the asteroid closely matched that of a C-type asteroid. Created color and linear polarization variations along the tail were analyzed. The asteroid demonstrated a redder color compared to the Sun. Dramatic changes in dust productivity obtained in different filters were not detected. The $g-r$ color changes from $0.2^m$ to $0.7^m$ over the coma, and the linear polarization degree varies from about $1.2$\% to $0.2$\% and from $-0.2$\% to $-1.5$\% at the phase angle of $23.2^{\circ }$ and $8.16^{\circ }$. The total dust mass ejected until the latest observation on October 10 is $4.2\times 10^7$~kg, with a maximum rate of 2.6~kg\,s${}^{-1}$ based on the Monte Carlo modeling of the dust tail. The estimated asteroid size is 1.3~km. It is shown that large particles are concentrated around the nucleus, whereas smaller ones dominate in the tail. The evolution of (248370) QN${}_{173}$ orbit and the orbits of the sample of the 464 short-periodic comets were followed. Ten of them approached the asteroid's orbit. These objects are not genetically related, despite the very close distance of their orbits for a relatively long time.

pages 13; 5 tables; figures 12