Broadband Photometry 330825 (2008 XE3): A Potential Binary Near-Earth Asteroid.
ATel #4591; M. Hicks (JPL/Caltech), D. Dombroski (LACC), M. Brewer (VVC)
on 20 Nov 2012; 19:02 UT
Credential Certification: Michael D. Hicks (Michael.Hicks@jpl.nasa.gov)
Subjects: Optical, Asteroid, Solar System Object, Near-Earth Object, Asteroid (Binary)
The near-Earth asteroid 330825 (2008 XE3) was discovered on 2008 December 12 by the LINEAR NEO survey (MPEC 2008-X63). We obtained two nights of Bessel BVRI (2012 November 04 and November 07) and one night of Bessel R observations (November 05) of the object at the JPL Table Mountain Observatory (TMO) 0.6-m telescope. The observational circumstances are summarized in Table 1.
The object's rotationally averaged colors (B-R=1.250+/-0.041 mag; V-R=0.441+/ 0.020 mag; R-I=0.354+/-0.018 mag) were found most compatible with an S-type spectral classification (Bus Taxonomy)/S-type (Tholen Taxonomy). This association was obtained through a comparison of our colors with the 1341 asteroid spectra in the SMASS II database (Bus & Binzel 2002) [
Figure 1
and Table 2].
Assuming a solar phase parameter g=0.15, typical for S-family asteroids, we performed a period search using standard Fourier techniques and fit a rotational period P_syn=4.414+/-0.002 hr
[Figure 2]. The dispersion in the phased lightcurve was incompatible with changing viewing/illumination geometry (the solar phase angle remains relatively constant through our observations) and suggests that 2008 XE3 is likely a binary system, with the variations in observed flux caused by an unresolved, tidally locked secondary companion. Fitting a 2-period model as described by Pravec et al. (2000), we found that our photometry agrees well with a binary model (P_1=4.412+/-0.02 hr, P_2=29.71+/-0.05 hr) [Figure 3]. Our measured absolute magnitude H_V=16.37+/-0.03 mag implies an effective diameter of the combined system D~1.8 km, assuming a geometric albedo rho=0.15.
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. The research described in this telegram was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The student participation was
supported by the National Science Foundation under REU grant AST-1156756 to Los Angeles City College.
Table 1: Observational Circumstances.
UT Time r delta phase V Filters Observers
[AU] [AU] [deg] [mag]
2012 11 04.27 1.315 0.361 22.9 15.8 BVRI Dombroski
2012 11 05.30 1.320 0.365 22.3 15.8 R Hicks
2012 11 07.23 1.330 0.374 21.3 15.8 BVRI Brewer
Table 2: Best-fit SMASS II spectral analogs.
Taxonomic Class
Misfit Object Name (Tholen) (Bus)
0.491 485 Genua S
0.627 4702 Berounka S
0.658 389 Industria S S
0.668 4327 Ries Sk
0.741 11 Parthenope S Sk
