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  • The shape and rotation of a...
    SCHEIRICH, Peter; URECH, Josef; PRAVEC, Petr; KOZUBAL, Marek; DANTOWITZ, Ron; KAASALAINEN, Mikko; BETZLER, Alberto Silva; BELTRAME, Paolo; MULER, Gustavo; BIRTWHISTLE, Peter; KUGEL, Francois

    Meteoritics & planetary science, 10/2010, Letnik: 45, Številka: 10-11
    Journal Article

    Abstract- On October 6, 2008, a small F-class asteroid 2008 TC sub(3) was discovered by Catalina Sky Survey telescope, and exploded 20hr later in the Earth's atmosphere at 37km altitude. We analyzed available photometric data taken from 6 October 21:10 to 7 October 01:46UT, and created a numerical model of a shape and rotation state of the asteroid. The asteroid was in excited rotational state. We found two approximately mirror solutions of orientation of its angular momentum vector. Rotational and precession periods are 99.20 and 97.00s (errors of the rotational period for the two solutions are 0.03 and 0.04s; of the precession period are 0.05s for both solutions). The volume of the convex model and the length of the longest axis of the dynamically equivalent, equal volume ellipsoid are and , where p sub(V) is surface geometric albedo. Assuming a mean albedo value for F taxonomic class, 0.049 plus or minus 0.010, the volume is (25 plus or minus 10)m super(3) and the longest axis is (6.7 plus or minus 0.8)m. This volume of the convex model is an upper limit on a real volume of the asteroid, which may be less by up to 20% due to concavities.