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General
This project studies the physical and compositional properties of the so-called minor bodies of the Solar System, that includes asteroids, icy objects, and comets. Of special interest are the trans-neptunian objects (TNOs), including those considered the most distant objects detected so far (Extreme-TNOs or ETNOs); the comets and the comet-asteroid transitional objects (Centaurs and main belt comets or MBCs); the primitive asteroids. The last two groups contain the most primordial and pristine material of the Solar System and so they provide the clues to understand the origin and the subsequent evolution of our system. Among asteroid population, the near-Earth asteroids or NEAs, as well as the potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) are of particular interest: due to their proximity to the Earth, they are the most accesible to spacecraft and so are ideal for in-situ or even sample-return space missions. In addition they are considered as future potential resources of materials (asteroid mining), and they are also impact hazards for the Earth. Regarding primitive asteroids, it is remarkable the spectroscopic survey (visible and near-infrared) led by the PI of this project (PRIMitive Asteroids Spectroscopic Survey - PRIMASS). This survey received financial support from NASA (17-PDART17_2-0097, PI: N. Pinilla-Alonso, 137.000€ - 2 years) in order to upload and archive at the Small Bodies Node of the NASA Planetary Data System the more than 800 spectra obtained.
The compositional surface properties, as well as the physical and thermal properties of these objects are inferred through imaging, photometry, and spectroscopy in a wide range of wavelengths (from 0.35 up to 24 microns). Data are interpreted using scattering and thermo-physical models. This project works also in the study of the physical properties of the cometary nuclei, as well as properties of dust and coma in the tails of the MBCs and the mechanisms that generate them.
This group maintains several international collaborations with other groups, and some of their members are also members of (1) the Science Team of the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission, in particular the Image Processing Working Group, were they work with the images obtained with the OCAMS suite of cameras; (2) the coordination of an international group to study NEAs (EURONEAR); (3) the central core of the proponents of ESA M5 missions CASTALIA, CASTAway, and Hera; (4) the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science - CLASS (NASA); (5) the Solar System group of the Euclid consortium; (6) the surveys J-PLUS and J-PASS for the exploitation of observations of Solar System objects; (7) the Solar System working group of Gaia and JWST.
Members
Scientific activity
Related publications
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Exogenic basalt on asteroid (101955) BennuWhen rubble-pile asteroid 2008 TC 3 impacted Earth on 7 October 2008, the recovered rock fragments indicated that such asteroids can contain exogenic material 1,2. However, spacecraft missions to date have only observed exogenous contamination on large, monolithic asteroids that are impervious to collisional disruption 3,4. Here, we report theDellaGiustina, D. N. et al.
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02021 -
Spectral characterization of the craters of Ryugu as observed by the NIRS3 instrument on-board Hayabusa2C-type rubble pile asteroid (162173) Ryugu was observed and characterized up close for a year and a half by the instruments on-board the Japanese Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) Hayabusa2 spacecraft. The asteroid exhibits relatively homogeneous spectral characteristics at near-infrared wavelengths (~1.8-3.2 μm), including a very low reflectanceRiu, Lucie et al.
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32021 -
Near-infrared spectroscopy of the Chaldaea asteroid family: Possible link to the Klio familyThere are eight primitive asteroid families in the inner main belt. The PRIMitive Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey (PRIMASS) has characterized all eight families using visible spectroscopy, and two of the families at near infrared wavelengths. This work is part of our survey at near infrared wavelengths and adds a third family, Chaldaea, to it. We seeArredondo, Anicia et al.
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12021 -
Variations in color and reflectance on the surface of asteroid (101955) BennuVisible-wavelength color and reflectance provide information about the geologic history of planetary surfaces. Here we present multispectral images (0.44 to 0.89 micrometers) of near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu. The surface has variable colors overlain on a moderately blue global terrain. Two primary boulder types are distinguishable by theirDellaGiustina, D. N. et al.
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112020 -
Crater depth-to-diameter ratios on asteroid 162173 Ryugu d/D of craters on RyuguThe near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu, the target of the Hayabusa2 mission, is noted to be a spinning top-shaped rubble-pile. Craters are among the most prominent surface features on Ryugu. Their shapes, particularly their depth-to-diameter ratio (d/D), can provide an important proxy for probing both the internal structure and surface processes ofNoguchi, Rina et al.
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12021 -
Hayabusa2 Landing Site Selection: Surface Topography of Ryugu and Touchdown SafetyOne of the primary goals of Hayabusa2 is to land on the asteroid Ryugu to collect its surface materials. The key for a successful touchdown is to find a promising landing site that meets both scientific and engineering requirements. Due to the limited availability of pre-arrival information about Ryugu, the landing site selection (LSS) must beKikuchi, Shota et al.
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102020 -
A comparative analysis of the outer-belt primitive familiesContext. Asteroid families are witnesses to the intense collisional evolution that occurred on the asteroid belt. The study of the physical properties of family members can provide important information about the state of differentiation of the parent body and provide insights into how these objects were formed. Several of these asteroid familiesDe Prá, M. N. et al.
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112020 -
Spectral characterisation of 14 V-type candidate asteroids from the MOVIS catalogueMost of the currently known basaltic (V-type) asteroids are believed to be past or present members of the Vesta dynamical family. The rising discoveries of V-type asteroids that are not linked to the Vesta family dynamically suggest that a number of major basaltic bodies may have been present during the early stages of the solar system. Using theMatlovič, Pavol et al.
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112020 -
Dozens of virtual impactor orbits eliminated by the EURONEAR VIMP DECam data mining projectContext. Massive data mining of image archives observed with large etendue facilities represents a great opportunity for orbital amelioration of poorly known virtual impactor asteroids (VIs). There are more than 1000 VIs known today; most of them have very short observed arcs and many are considered lost as they became extremely faint soon afterVaduvescu, O. et al.
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102020 -
The GAPS programme at TNG. XXIV. An eccentric Neptune-mass planet near the inner edge of the BD-11 4672 habitable zoneContext. With the growth of comparative exoplanetology, it is becoming increasingly clear that investigating the relationships between inner and outer planets plays a key role in discriminating between competing formation and evolution models. To do so, it is important to probe the inner region of systems that host long-period giants in search ofBarbato, D. et al.
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92020 -
Spin-driven evolution of asteroids' top-shapes at fast and slow spins seen from (101955) Bennu and (162173) RyuguProximity observations by OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 provided clues on the shape evolution processes of the target asteroids, (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu. Their oblate shapes with equatorial ridges, or the so-called top shapes, may have evolved due to their rotational conditions at present and in the past. Different shape evolution scenariosHirabayashi, Masatoshi et al.
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122020 -
Global photometric properties of (162173) RyuguContext. The Hayabusa2 spacecraft launched by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been conducting observations of the asteroid (162173) Ryugu since June 2018. The Telescopic Optical Navigation Camera (ONC-T) onboard Hayabusa2 has obtained thousands of images under a variety of illumination and viewing conditions. Aims: Our objective is toTatsumi, E. et al.
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72020 -
Restoring the night sky darkness at Observatorio del Teide: First application of the model Illumina version 2The propagation of artificial light into real environments is complex. To perform its numerical modelling with accuracy, one must consider hyperspectral properties of the lighting devices and their geographic positions, the hyperspectral properties of the ground reflectance, the size and distribution of small-scale obstacles, the blocking effect ofAubé, Martin et al.
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72020 -
Physical characterization of 2020 AV<SUB>2</SUB>, the first known asteroid orbiting inside Venus orbitThe first known asteroid with the orbit inside that of Venus is 2020 AV 2. This may be the largest member of a new population of small bodies with the aphelion smaller than 0.718 au, called Vatiras. The surface of 2020 AV 2 is being constantly modified by the high temperature, by the strong solar wind irradiation that characterizes the innermostPopescu, M. et al.
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62020 -
Sample collection from asteroid (162173) Ryugu by Hayabusa2: Implications for surface evolutionThe near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu is thought to be a primitive carbonaceous object that contains hydrated minerals and organic molecules. We report sample collection from Ryugu’s surface by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft on 21 February 2019. Touchdown images and global observations of surface colors are used to investigate the stratigraphy of theMorota, T. et al.
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52020 -
Highly porous nature of a primitive asteroid revealed by thermal imagingCarbonaceous (C-type) asteroids 1 are relics of the early Solar System that have preserved primitive materials since their formation approximately 4.6 billion years ago. They are probably analogues of carbonaceous chondrites 2,3 and are essential for understanding planetary formation processes. However, their physical properties remain poorly knownOkada, Tatsuaki et al.
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32020 -
IGAPS: the merged IPHAS and UVEX optical surveys of the northern Galactic planeThe INT Galactic Plane Survey (IGAPS) is the merger of the optical photometric surveys, IPHAS and UVEX, based on data from the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) obtained between 2003 and 2018. Here, we present the IGAPS point source catalogue. It contains 295.4 million rows providing photometry in the filters, i, r, narrow-band Hα, g, and U RGO. TheMonguió, M. et al.
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62020 -
Visible and near-infrared observations of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov with the 10.4-m GTC and the 3.6-m TNG telescopesIn this work, we present the results of an observational study of 2I/Borisov carried out with the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the 3.6-m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), both telescopes located at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, in the island of La Palma (Spain). The study includes images in the visible and near-infrared, asde León, J. et al.
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42020 -
Characterization of the June epsilon Ophiuchids meteoroid stream and the comet 300P/CatalinaAims: Prior to 2019, the June epsilon Ophiuchids (JEO) were known as a minor unconfirmed meteor shower with activity that was considered typically moderate for bright fireballs. An unexpected bout of enhanced activity was observed in June 2019, which even raised the possibility that it was linked to the impact of the small asteroid 2019 MO nearMatlovič, Pavol et al.
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42020 -
An artificial impact on the asteroid (162173) Ryugu formed a crater in the gravity-dominated regimeThe Hayabusa2 spacecraft investigated the small asteroid Ryugu, which has a rubble-pile structure. We describe an impact experiment on Ryugu using Hayabusa2’s Small Carry-on Impactor. The impact produced an artificial crater with a diameter >10 meters, which has a semicircular shape, an elevated rim, and a central pit. Images of the impact andArakawa, M. et al.
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42020
![Izquierda - Imagen RGB de la nebulosa de Orión y M43 obtenida filtros estrechos con la cámara WFC en el INT: H alfa (rojo), [S II] 6716+30 (verde), [O III] 5007 (azul). Derecha - Imagen en falso color de la nebulosa planetaria NGC 6778. En azul se ve la emisión en la línea de O II tomada con el filtro sintonizable azul del instrumento OSIRIS en el GTC; en verde imagen con el filtro estrecho de [O III] del Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT).](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_square_2_2_to_320px/public/images/project/imagen_web.jpg?itok=fsBmV9CO "Izquierda - Imagen RGB de la nebulosa de Orión y M43 obtenida filtros estrechos con la cámara WFC en el INT: H alfa (rojo), [S II] 6716+30 (verde), [O III] 5007 (azul). Derecha - Imagen en falso color de la nebulosa planetaria NGC 6778. En azul se ve la emisión en la línea de O II tomada con el filtro sintonizable azul del instrumento OSIRIS en el GTC; en verde imagen con el filtro estrecho de [O III] del Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT).")
