Spectral properties of Mars-crossers and near-Earth objects^*

Results of the survey

Observatório Nacional/MCT, Coordenação de Astronomia e Astrofísica – CAA, 20921-400 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Corresponding author: C. A. Angeli, angeli@on.br

Received: 12 April 2002
Accepted: 13 May 2002

Abstract

We present the results concerning Mars-crossing and Near-Earth asteroids of our Small Solar System Objects Spectroscopic Survey – , carried out at the ESO (La Silla, Chile). Thirty-four objects, twenty-two Mars-crossing and twelve NEAs, have been observed from November 1996 through September 2001 in the wavelength range of 4900-9200 Å. Most (twenty-seven out of thirty-four) of the objects of our sample fall in the “S-complex”, including the S, Sa, Sk, Sl, Sq and A classes, as introduced by Bus (1999). The spectra of these objects resemble that of some ordinary chondrite meteorites. In spite of the small number of objects, we found also in our sample members of the C, Ld, V and X classes.