BIRLAN , Mirel

We present the first attempt to characterize the distribution of taxonomic class among the population of binary asteroids (15 per cent of all small asteroids). For that, an analysis of 0.8-2.5 μm near-infrared spectra obtained with the SpeX instrument on the NASA/IRTF is presented. Taxonomic class and meteorite analogue is determined for each...

The article presents the concept of a new spectrograph designed to observe asteroids. The main objective of this instrument is the coverage in one shot of the wavelengths interval of the visible and near-infrared, between 0.5 and 1.6 μm. The spectrograph is designed to observe in low resolution and to characterize the minerals at the surface of...

"Where do meteorites come from?" has been an enduring question in planetary science, placing "traceability" (e.g. sample return) at the forefront of current exploration. Towards this goal, orbits for 2 dozen recovered meteorite falls have been determined by dedicated teams over many decades. Herewith we now add the orbits for more than 1000...

Space weathering to redden asteroid surfaces by the solar wind appears to be a very rapid (

Mutual event observations between the two components of 90 Antiope were carried out in 2007-2008. The pole position was refined to λ = 199.5 ± 0.5° and β = 39.8 ± 5° in J2000 ecliptic coordinates, leaving intact the physical solution for the components, assimilated to two perfect Roche ellipsoids, and derived after the 2005 mutual event season...

Many advancements in planetary science are achieved by seizing upon the opportunity created by rare natural events (e.g. comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Jupiter impact; 1994) and by planned physical interactions (e.g. Deep Impact into comet Tempel 1; 2005). A forthcoming opportunity to seize upon a natural physical "experiment" occurs on April 13, 2029...

Many advancements in planetary science are achieved by seizing upon the opportunity created by rare natural events (e.g. comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Jupiter impact; 1994) and by planned physical interactions (e.g. Deep Impact into comet Tempel 1; 2005). A forthcoming opportunity to seize upon a natural physical "experiment" occurs on April 13, 2029...

Context. Asteroid (16) Psyche is the target of the NASA Psyche mission. It is considered one of the few main-belt bodies that could be an exposed proto-planetary metallic core and that would thus be related to iron meteorites. Such an association is however challenged by both its near- and mid-infrared spectral properties and the reported...

International audience

Context. Over the past decades, several interplanetary missions have studied small bodies in situ, leading to major advances in our understanding of their geological and geophysical properties. These missions, however, have had a limited number of targets. Among them, the NASA Dawn mission has characterised in detail the topography and albedo...

Context. Asteroid (7) Iris is an ideal target for disk-resolved imaging owing to its brightness (V 7-8) and large angular size of 0.33'' during its apparitions. Iris is believed to belong to the category of large unfragmented asteroids that avoided internal differentiation, implying that its current shape and topography may record the first few...

International audience

Context. The vast majority of the geophysical and geological constraints (e.g., internal structure, cratering history) for main-belt asteroids have so far been obtained via dedicated interplanetary missions (e.g., ESA Rosetta, NASA Dawn). The high angular resolution of SPHERE/ZIMPOL, the new-generation visible adaptive-optics camera at ESO VLT,...

Amateur contributions to professional publications have increased exponentially over the last decades in the field of Planetary Astronomy. Here we review the different domains of the field in which collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers are effective and regularly lead to scientific publications. We discuss the instruments,...