[meteorite-list] Asteroid 2010 KQ: Probably a Rocket Body

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 14:29:11 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201005272129.o4RLTBEY015840_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news168.html

Asteroid 2010 KQ: Probably a Rocket Body
Don Yeomans, Paul Chodas and Steve Chesley
NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office
May 27, 2010

[Graphic]
Trajectory of Asteroid 2010 KQ - March-Oct 2010

A small asteroid-like object has been discovered in an orbit about the
Sun that is so similar to the Earth's orbit that scientists strongly
suspect it to be a rocket stage that escaped years ago from the
Earth-Moon system. The object was discovered on May 16, 2010 by Richard
Kowalski at the Catalina Sky Survey, and has subsequently been observed
by many observers, including Bill Ryan (Magdalena Ridge Observatory) and
Peter Birtwhistle (England). It was given the asteroid designation 2010
KQ by the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge Massachusetts, who identified
its orbit as being very similar to that of the Earth. Orbit refinements
by JPL's Paul Chodas and amateur astronomer Bill Gray have shown that
this object was very close to the Earth in early 1975, but the
trajectory is not known with enough accuracy to associate the object
with any particular launch. Nevertheless, scientists do not expect that
a natural object could remain in this type of orbit for very long
because of its relatively high impact probability with the Earth. In
fact, an analysis carried out by Paul Chodas suggests that 2010 KQ has a
6% chance of impacting the Earth over a 30-year period starting in 2036.

Near-infrared spectral measurements of this object carried out by S.J.
Bus (University of Hawaii) using the NASA IRTF telescope on Mauna Kea,
Hawaii, indicate that its spectral characteristics do not match those of
any of the known asteroid types, and in fact are similar to those of a
rocket body. The object's absolute magnitude (28.9) also suggests that
it is only a few meters in size, about the size of a upper stage.
Additional observations over the coming months should allow scientists
to discern how strongly solar radiation pressure affects the
object's motion, a result that could help distinguish a solid, rocky
asteroid from a lighter man-made object.

Even in the unlikely event that this object is headed for impact with
the Earth, whether it is an asteroid or rocket body, it is so small that
it would disintegrate in the atmosphere and not cause harm on the ground.
Received on Thu 27 May 2010 05:29:11 PM PDT