2015 TC25

2015 TC25 is a near-Earth asteroid, and at only 6 feet (2 meters) across and absolute magnitude 29.34 mag, it is thought to be the second smallest asteroid observed over multiple years, the smallest being 2006 RH120 with 29.5 mag. The asteroid is notable for reflecting about 60% of the light that hits it, making it one of the brightest near-earth asteroids ever seen.[3]

2015 TC25
Discovery
Discovered byCatalina Sky Survey
Discovery date12 October 2015
Designations
2015 TC25
Apollo
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch JD 2457607.5 (2016 August 7)
Aphelion1.1504 AU
Perihelion0.9081 AU
1.0292 AU
Eccentricity0.1177
1.04 yr
214.2377°
0° 56m 38.04s / day
Inclination3.6383°
19.6544
80.5784°
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
2 meters (6.6 ft)[2]
0.03715 h (2.229 min)[1]
E[2]
29.5

    Discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey on 12 October 2015, it was observed with several ground-based telescopes.[2] Radar observations were also made using the Arecibo Observatory as it passed 128,000 kilometers (79,500 miles) from the Earth.[3] Observations suggest its surface composition is similar to Aubrite meteorites, a rare class of high-albedo differentiated meteorites.[2]

    The albedo and radar polarization ratio suggest 2015 TC25 belongs to the E-type asteroids, and comparison of its spectral and dynamical properties suggest it may have broke off of the 70-kilometer diameter E-type asteroid 44 Nysa.[2] 2015 TC25 is also notable for its rather short rotation period of only about 2 minutes, which, combined with its low surface gravity makes it very difficult for 2015 TC25 to retain a regolith layer. Its surface therefore most likely resembles a bare rock.[2]

    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 TC25)" (2017-04-25 last obs). Retrieved 11 June 2019.
    2. Reddy, Vishnu; Sanchez, Juan A.; Bottke, William F.; Thirouin, Audrey; Rivera-Valentin, Edgard G.; Kelley, Michael S.; Ryan, William; Cloutis, Edward A.; Tegler, Stephen C.; Ryan, Eileen V.; Taylor, Patrick A.; Richardson, James E.; Moskovitz, Nicholas; Le Corre, Lucille. "Physical Characterization of ~2-meter Diameter Near-Earth Asteroid 2015 TC25: A possible boulder from E-type Asteroid (44) Nysa". arXiv:1612.00113.
    3. Stolte, Daniel. "It's a Bird … It's a Plane … It's the Tiniest Asteroid!". UA News. University of Arizona. Retrieved 17 February 2017.


    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.