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A&A 392, 729-733 (2002)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20021006

Research Note

Asteroid (216) Kleopatra

Tests of the radar-derived shape model

D. Hestroffer¹, J. Berthier¹, P. Descamps¹, P. Tanga², A. Cellino², M. Lattanzi², M. Di Martino² and V. Zappalà<sup>2

1</sup>  IMCCE, UMR CNRS 8028, Observatoire de Paris, 77 Av. Denfert Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France
²  Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino (OATo), Strada Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese (TO), Italy

(Received 10 April 2002 / Accepted 5 July 2002 )

Abstract
The shape model of Ostro et al. (2000) for (216) Kleopatra - obtained from inversion of the radar data (Hudson & Ostro 1994) - is compared to the high resolution interferometric observations of the HST/FGS astrometer, and additionally to observed lightcurves and stellar occultations data. It appears that the radar nominal-model, while being in global agreement with these data, doesn't adequately reproduce all of them. In particular the flattening seems to be underestimated by ~20%. The HST/FGS observations should provide valuable constraints for determining a more refined shape model, since the model obtained from the radar data alone is subject to some uncertainty. Such a refined model of Kleopatra should provide valuable insights for explaining the formation of this interesting object, and the formation and evolution of binary asteroids in general.

Key words: techniques: high angular resolution -- occultations -- minor planets, asteroids

Offprint request: D. Hestroffer, hestro@bdl.fr

© ESO 2002

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