Lightcurve, Color and Phase Function Photometry of the OSIRIS-REx Target Asteroid (101955) Bennu

    Authors

    C. W. Hergenrother; M. C. Nolan; R. P. Binzel; E. A. Cloutis; M. A. Barucci; P. Michel; D. J. Scheeres; C. D. d'Aubigny; D. Lazzaro; N. Pinilla-Alonso; H. Campins; J. Licandro; B. E. Clark; B. Rizk; E. C. Beshore;D. S. Lauretta

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Icarus

    Keywords

    Asteroids; Asteroids, Rotation; Near-Earth objects; Photometry; NEAR-EARTH ASTEROIDS; THERMAL-INFRARED OBSERVATIONS; 253 MATHILDE; PHYSICAL-CHARACTERIZATION; STANDARD STARS; 1999 RQ(36); SPECTROSCOPY; ORIGIN; BELT; KW4; Astronomy & Astrophysics

    Abstract

    The NASA OSIRIS-REx mission will retrieve a sample of the carbonaceous near-Earth Asteroid (101955) Bennu and return it to Earth in 2023. Photometry in the Eight Color Asteroid Survey (ECAS) filter system and Johnson-Cousins V and R filters were conducted during the two most recent apparitions in 2005/2006 and 2011/2012. Lightcurve observations over the nights of September 14-17, 2005 yielded a synodic rotation period of 4.2905 +/- 0.0065 h, which is consistent with the results of Nolan et al. (2013). ECAS color measurements made during the same nights confirm the B-type classification of Clark et al. (Clark, B.E., Binzel, R.P., Howell, E.S., Cloutis, EA, Ockert-Bell, M., Christensen, P., Barucci, MA, DeMeo, F., Lauretta, D.S., Connolly, H., Soderberg, A., Hergenrother, C., Lim, L., Emery, J., Mueller, M. [2011]. Icarus 216, 462-475). A search for the 0.7 mu m hydration feature using the method of Vilas (Vilas, F. [1994]. Icarus 111, 456-467) did not reveal its presence. Photometry was obtained over a range of phase angles from 15 degrees to 96 degrees between 2005 and 2012. The resulting phase function slope of 0.040 magnitudes per degree is consistent with the phase slopes of other low albedo near-Earth asteroids (Belskaya, I.N., Shevchenko, V.G. [2000]. Icarus 147, 94-105). (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Icarus

    Volume

    226

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    663

    Last Page

    670

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000324720200054

    ISSN

    0019-1035

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