A Spectroscopically Unique Main-Belt Asteroid: 10537 (1991 RY16)

2008/06/13 by Nicholas Moskovitz, Nicholas A. Moskovitz, Samuel J. Lawrence +8 · 2 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Planetary Science and Exploration #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/591030

published as The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 682, Issue 1, pp. L57-L60, (2008) · 14 pages, 3 figures, to be published in ApJ Letters

arxiv created 2008/06/13 · openalex publication_date 2008/07/08 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

We present visible and near-infrared reflectance spectra and interpreted surface mineralogy for asteroid 10537 (1991 RY16). The spectrum of this object is without precedent among the main-belt asteroids. A unique absorption band centered at 0.63 μm could be attributed to one of several mineralogies. Pronounced 1 and 2 μm absorption bands suggest that the composition of 10537 is a mixture of pyroxenes and olivine and that it originated from a parent body that was partially or fully differentiated. The closest available analog is the large main-belt asteroid 349 Dembowska, but 10537 may be an isolated fragment from a completely eroded parent body.

Citations

• Spextool: A Spectral Extraction Package for SpeX, a 0.8–5.5 Micron Cross‐Dispersed Spectrograph
• Redetermination of the space weathering rate using spectra of Iannini asteroid family members
• SpeX: A Medium‐Resolution 0.8–5.5 Micron Spectrograph and Imager for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility
• Mineralogical Variations within the S-Type Asteroid Class

Cited by

• The distribution of basaltic asteroids in the Main Belt
• Dynamical evolution of V-type asteroids in the central main belt