A&A 375, 281-284 (2001)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20010789

Research Note
Groundbased investigation of asteroid 9969 Braille, target of the spacecraft mission Deep Space 1

M. Lazzarin¹, S. Fornasier¹, M. A. Barucci² and M. Birlan<sup>2

1</sup>  Dip. di Astronomia, Vic. Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
²  Obs. de Paris, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France

(Received 19 December 2000 / Accepted 24 May 2001 )

Abstract
Asteroid 9969 Braille (1992 KD) was encountered on July 29, 1999 by the Deep Space 1 mission, the first of NASA's New Millennium Program, launched on October 24 1998. The data obtained by the space mission seem to indicate a composition of the object similar to that of Vesta. To complete the information obtained in the infrared region by the Deep Space 1 mission we have performed a visible spectroscopic and photometric investigation of the asteroid respectively with the 1.5 m telescope and the NTT of ESO, La Silla. The spectrum was obtained in the spectral range 4500-8200 Åand, for the photometry, BVRI filters were used. In this paper we report the results of the analysis of the data obtained indicating that, on the basis of our visible data, the composition of the asteroid may range from V-type to Q-type, but we observe also a strong similarity to the H-type ordinary chondrites.

Key words: solar system: general -- minor planets -- asteroids

Offprint request: M. Lazzarin, lazzarin@pd.astro.it

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