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The enigmatic object 2201 Oljato - Is it an asteroid or an evolved comet?The orbital properties of near-earth object 2201 have been associated with meteor showers, and its modeled orbital evolution is chaotic - a property which might indicate a history related to comets. Telescopic observations of its visible and near-infrared spectral reflectance, broad-band visible and near-infrared photometry, infrared radiometric measurements, and radar echoes are reported here from two apparitions, 1979 and 1983. This asteroid has a high radiometric albedo, a property not associated with comet nuclei. In certain wavelength regimes it is classified as an S-type asteroid, in others, an E-type, but its overall spectral reflectance is not typical of either taxonomic type, and neither type is thought of as cometlike. Unexpectedly high ultraviolet reflectance at the 1979 apparition was suggested to be the result of residual outgassing as in a comet. The UV photometric data are modeled as fluorescent emission from neutral species found in comets. The resulting calculations indicate a plausible value for OH and CN emission at 0.3085 and 0.38 micron relative to the observed range of active comets.
Document ID
19930046742
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Mcfadden, Lucy A.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, United States)
Cochran, Anita L.
(Texas Univ. Austin, United States)
Barker, Edwin S.
(McDonald Observatory Fort Davis, TX, United States)
Cruikshank, Dale P.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Hartmann, William K.
(Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
February 25, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 98
Issue: E2
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
93A30739
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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