NEAR's Flyby of 253 Mathilde: Images of a C Asteroid

NEAR's Flyby of 253 Mathilde: Images of a C Asteroid

On 27 June 1997, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft flew within 1212 kilometers of asteroid 253 Mathilde. Mathilde is an irregular, heavily cratered body measuring 66 kilometers by 48 kilometers by 46 kilometers. The asteroid's surface is dark (estimated albedo between 0.035 a...

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Veröffentlicht in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1997-12, Vol.278 (5346), p.2109-2114
Hauptverfasser: Veverka, J., Thomas, P., Harch, A., Clark, B., Bell, J. F., Carcich, B., Joseph, J., Chapman, C., Merline, W., Robinson, M., Malin, M., McFadden, L. A., Murchie, S., Hawkins, S. E., Farquhar, R., Izenberg, N., Cheng, A.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Albedo
Asteroids
Asteroids (minor planets)
Astronomy
Diameters
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Image resolution
Imaging
Impact craters
Mathematical objects
Mathematical surfaces
Pixels
Planets, their satellites and rings. Asteroids
Portrayals
Scientific Concepts
Solar system
Space exploration
Spacecraft
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Zusammenfassung:On 27 June 1997, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft flew within 1212 kilometers of asteroid 253 Mathilde. Mathilde is an irregular, heavily cratered body measuring 66 kilometers by 48 kilometers by 46 kilometers. The asteroid's surface is dark (estimated albedo between 0.035 and 0.050) and similar in color to some CM carbonaceous chondrites. No albedo or color variations were detected. The volume derived from the images and the mass from Doppler tracking of the spacecraft yield a mean density of 1.3 ± 0.2 grams per cubic centimeter, about half that of CM chondrites, indicating a porous interior structure.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.278.5346.2109