New K type asteroids

Abstract

Several new K type asteroids were identified during near infrared spectral observations on July 30, 1992 at NASA's infrared telescope facility (IRTF) at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. These K asteroids are 513 Centesima, 633 Zelima, 1129 Neujmina, 1416 Renauxa, 1799 Koussevitzky, and 1883 Rauma. A K asteroid is an asteroid which possesses a S type spectra in visible wavelengths and a C type spectra visible in near-infrared wavelengths. These objects are usually misclassified as S asteroids on the basis of visible spectra alone. This type was first detected by the 52 infrared color asteroid survey also conducted at the IRTF. Our observations utilized a new seven color infrared asteroid filter system which allows near-infrared data to be collected from asteroids as faint as 16th 5 magnitude.