A-type asteroid
A-type asteroids are relatively uncommon inner-belt asteroids that have a strong, broad 1 μm olivine feature and a very reddish spectrum shortwards of 0.7 μm. They are thought to come from the completely differentiated mantle of an asteroid, and appear to have a high density. One survey found that 7 similar A-, V- and X-type asteroids had an average density of 3.6 g/cm3.[1] A-type asteroids were once thought to be rare, but a 2026 study of data from the Gaia spacecraft showed that they were quite common among members of the Flora and Vesta asteroid families, with an overall abundance among all main belt asteroids of about 2%, significantly higher than earlier estimates.[2]
List
[edit]As of August 2024, 17 A-type asteroids had been discovered:[3]
| Designation | Class | Diam. | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 246 Asporina | main-belt | 50.891 km | MPC · JPL |
| 289 Nenetta | main-belt | 37.586 km | MPC · JPL |
| 446 Aeternitas | main-belt | 53.562 km | MPC · JPL |
| 863 Benkoela | main-belt | 38.724 km | MPC · JPL |
| 1126 Otero | main-belt | 10.974 km | MPC · JPL |
| 1600 Vyssotsky | main-belt | 7.413 km | MPC · JPL |
| 1951 Lick | Mars-crossing | 5.57 km | MPC · JPL |
| 2234 Schmadel | main-belt | 9.473 km | MPC · JPL |
| 2423 Ibarruri | Mars-crossing | 4.899 km | MPC · JPL |
| 2501 Lohja | main-belt | 10.218 km | MPC · JPL |
| 2715 Mielikki | main-belt | 13.252 km | MPC · JPL |
| 2732 Witt | main-belt | 11.001 km | MPC · JPL |
| 3352 McAuliffe | Amor | 2.1 km | MPC · JPL |
| 4142 Dersu-Uzala | Mars-crossing | 7.1 km | MPC · JPL |
| 4713 Steel | main-belt | 6.286 km | MPC · JPL |
| 4982 Bartini | main-belt | 7.975 km | MPC · JPL |
| 5641 McCleese | Mars-crossing | 5.68 km | MPC · JPL |
| Diameter: averaged estimates only; may change over time | |||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ P. Vernazza et al. (2021) VLT/SPHERE imaging survey of the largest main-belt asteroids: Final results and synthesis. Astronomy & Astrophysics 54, A56
- ↑ M. Delbo; C. Avdellidou; M. Galinier; U. Bhat; et al. (7 January 2026). "Gaia and IRTF abundance of A-type main-belt asteroids". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 705 (A46). doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202556827.
- ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: spec. type = A (SMASSII)". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
External links
[edit]- Mineralogic and Temperature-Induced Spectral Investigations of A-type Asteroids: (246) Asporina and (446) Aeternitas, V. Reddy, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI (2005)
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