Photometry of Near-Earth Asteroids 337866 (2001 WL15), 2016 FC13, 2016 FE1, and 2016 FY3
ATel #9029; Michael Hicks (JPL/Caltech), Heath Rhoades (JPL/Caltech), Beverly Thackeray (Cal State San Bernardino)
on 6 May 2016; 23:54 UT
Credential Certification: Michael D. Hicks (Michael.Hicks@jpl.nasa.gov)
Subjects: Optical, Asteroid, Planet (minor), Solar System Object, Near-Earth Object
The near-Earth asteroids 2001 WL15, 2016 FC13, 2016 FE1, and 2016 FY3 were discovered by the NEAT (WL15), Catalina (FC13 and FE1), and Pan-STARRS (FY3) surveys [MPEC 2001-W61, MPEC 2016-G01, MPEC 2016-F31, MPEC 2016-F47]. With a Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) of 0.0046 AU and absolute magnitude H=21.2 mag, 2016 FY3 has been identified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) by the Minor Planet Center. Color and lightcurve photometry were obtained during their recent apparitions using the JPL Table Mountain 0.6-m and 1-m telescopes, with the observational circumstances as outlined in Table 1.
337866 (2001 WL15) was scheduled for planetary radar observations in December of 2015. This object was taxonomically typed as an Sk-type by Binzel et al. (2004) Icarus 170, 259-294, we therefor chose to concentrate on lightcurve observations. Using standard Fourier techniques we measured a low amplitude lightcurve and a 8.65+/-0.09 hour rotational period, as shown in Figure 1.
2016 FC13, 2016 FE1, and 2016 FY3 were spectrally typed as Sk, T, and Sk-types
(Bus taxonomy) respectively using the Bessel BVRI colors measured over several color and listed in Table 2. Only partial lightcurves were obtained on each night, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4 . We can only crudely constrain their rotational periods as longer than several hours for these three asteroids.
Copyright 2016. 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.
Table 1: Observational Circumstances.
Num.
Object Telescope UT Time r delta phase Filters Exp.
[AU] [AU] [deg]
2001 WL15 1.0-m 2015 12 16.27 1.134 0.165 22.7 R 29
2001 WL15 1.0-m 2015 12 17.39 1.129 0.159 22.6 R 144
2001 WL15 1.0-m 2015 12 18.30 1.126 0.155 22.5 R 94
2016 FC13 0.6-m 2016 04 02.28 1.029 0.034 32.3 BVRI 37
2016 FE1 0.6-m 2016 04 17.39 1.072 0.089 38.3 BVRI 49
2016 FY3 0.6-m 2016 04 24.41 1.020 0.020 46.7 BVRI 88
Table 2: Relative Colors
Object B-R V-R R-I
[mag] [mag] [mag]
2016 FC13 1.212+/-0.021 0.435+/-0.022 0.341+/-0.027
2016 FE1 1.203+/-0.050 0.493+/-0.041 0.426+/-0.040
2016 FY3 1.221+/-0.023 0.440+/-0.013 0.330+/-0.015
