Asteroid team

Abstract

Work on asteroid classification continued was rewarded with the discovery of two Earth-approaching M asteroids. The M class is rare and these are the first found among the near-Earth asteroids to have the spectral albedo characteristic of this class. The two asteroids are newly discovered 1986 DA and 1986 EB which were observed at N and Q bandpasses (i.e., 10 and 20 microns) with the 3 m IRTF telescope and at five wavelengths from 0.36 to 0.85 microns from Kitt peak National Observatory's 0.36 m telescope. The derived diameters are about 2 km for both objects. In the asteroid radiometry program N or Q photometry was obtained for more than 40 asteroids in Feb. 1986. Radiometric diameter calibration support were provided for stellar occultations of stars by 230 Athamantis and 129 Antigone. The data were reduced but not analyzed. Infrared spectra (0.8 to 2.6 microns) of 60 asteroids were reduced and are now ready for compositional analysis.