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

References in corpus (15)

• A collision in 2009 as the origin of the debris trail of asteroid P/2010 A2
• Episodically Active Asteroid 6478 Gault
• Photometry, spectroscopy, and polarimetry of distant comet C/2014 A4 (SONEAR)
• Recurrent Activity from Active Asteroid (248370) 2005 QN173: A Main-Belt Comet
• Near-ultraviolet to visible spectroscopy of the Themis and Polana-Eulalia complex families
• Physical Characterization of Main-Belt Comet (248370) 2005 QN173
• Night-sky brightness and extinction at Mt. Shatdzhatmaz
• (6478) Gault: Physical characterization of an active main-belt asteroid
• Dust productivity and impact collision of the asteroid (596) Scheila
• Photometric and dynamic characterisation of active asteroid (248370) 2005 QN173
• Study of the physical properties of selected active objects in the main belt and surrounding regions by broadband photometry
• Spinning and color properties of the active asteroid (6478) Gault
• Physical characterization of the active asteroid (6478) Gault
• Activity of (6478) Gault during January 13 - March 28, 2019
• Extremely young asteroid pair (458271) 2010 UM26 and 2010 RN221

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Physical properties of newly active asteroid 2010 LH15