Three basaltic earth-approaching asteroids and the source of the basaltic meteorites

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90083-6· OSTI ID:6137030

Cruikshank, D P; Tholen, D J; Bell, J F; Hartmann, W K; Brown, R H ^[1]

---

1. NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (USA) Hawaii Univ., Honolulu (USA) Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ (USA) JPL, Pasadena, CA (USA)

Diameters of 1.2, 1.0, and 3.4 km are respectively derived for the earth-approaching asteroids 1983 RD, 1980 PA, and 1985 DO2, whose spectra are virtually identical to that of the basaltic-surfaced large asteroid, Vesta. While probably not fragments of Vesta, the three asteroids may be fragments of one or more Vesta-like parent bodies; it is suggested that they may be fragments of the source body or bodies of the HED meteorites. While these asteroids regoliths have significant insulating properties, they differ from that of the moon in that lunar-like glasses and agglutinates are largely absent. It is noted that asteroids of this kind may have impacted the earth without leaving the chemical signatures associated with the K-T boundary event. 59 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6137030
• Journal Information: Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (USA), Vol. 89; ISSN 0019-1035
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASTEROIDS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
METEORITES
ORIGIN
BASALT
GRAIN SIZE
INFRARED SPECTRA
NEAR INFRARED RADIATION
OVERBURDEN
PHOTOMETRY
SIZE
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
IGNEOUS ROCKS
INFRARED RADIATION
MICROSTRUCTURE
RADIATIONS
ROCKS
SPECTRA
VOLCANIC ROCKS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena