The MASTER Global Robotic Telescope Network: Observations of Asteroid NEA 2015 TB145.

Zimnukhov, D. S.; Lipunov, V. M.; Gorbovskoy, E. S.; Kornilov, V. G.; Tyurina, N. V.; Chazov, V. V.; Gabovich, A. V.; Balanutsa, P. V.; Vladimirov, V. V.; Gress, O. A.; Kuznetsov, A. S.; Rebolo Lopez, R.; Serra-Ricart, M.; Yurkov, V. V.; Vlasenko, D. M.; Budnev, N. M.; Sergienko, Yu. P.

The results of white-light photometry for a uniquely long series of data (13.5 hours of observations, 1124 measurements) for the Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) 2015 TB145 are presented. These data were obtained with the MASTER-Amur and MASTER-Tavrida wide-field robotic telescopes of the Mobile Astronomical System of Telescope-Robots (MASTER) global network of Lomonosov Moscow State University, located in the Crimea and in Blagoveshchensk. The object moved by more than 120° during the observations. The asteroid passed the point of closest approach to the Earth, i.e., observations were carried during both the asteroid's approach and recession. Thus, due to the geometry of the passage, this series of observations contains information about the asteroid viewed at different angles, and is very suitable for precisely determining the shape of the object. Mathematical modeling of the light curve and astrometric positions (with the Asteroids3D code) was carried out, and the probable shape of the asteroid (conical) and the rotation period of 5.9 hours were obtained, as well as the orientation of the rotation axis in ecliptic coordinates: longitude λ = 53°, latitude β = −20°. The derived period coincides with twice the period of 2.9 hours obtained by other observers published earlier, within the uncertainties.

CRIMEA (Ukraine); VERY large array telescopes; ASTEROID detection; ASTEROIDS; MOSCOW State University; NEAR-earth asteroids; LIGHT curves; ROBOTICS

Astronomy Reports, 2019, Vol 63, Issue 12, p1056

1063-7729

Academic Journal

10.1134/S1063772919120096