Eclipsing binary asteroid 90 Antiope

¹ Astronomical Observatory, Adam Mickiewicz University, Słoneczna 36, 60-286 Poznań, Poland e-mail: tmich@amu.edu.pl
² Research Institute of Astronomy, Kharkiv Karazin National University, Sums'ka 35, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine
³ Isaac Newton Institute of Chile, Crimean Branch, Chile
⁴ Institut de Mécanique Céleste, 77 Av. Denfert Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France
⁵ Astroqueyras Association, Mairie, 05350 Saint Veran, France
⁶ Poznań University of Technology, Poznań, Poland
⁷ Geneva Observatory, 1290 Sauverny, Switzerland
⁸ Les Engarouines Observatory, France
⁹ Ottmarsheim Observatory, France
¹⁰ Durtal Observatory, France

Received: 16 March 2004
Accepted: 11 May 2004

Abstract

CCD observations of the binary asteroid 90 Antiope were carried out at seven observatories (Borowiec, Kharkiv, Pic du Midi, Chateau Renard, Les Engarouines, Ottmarsheim, and Durtal) on 31 nights from December 2002 through April 2003. The results show two-component lightcurves with each showing the same period of  h. The first component is associated with the rotation of the two non-spherical bodies of the system; the second one is due to eclipses/occultations in the binary system. The lightcurves suggest that Antiope is an 'almost synchronous system' with orbital period of  h and a little shorter rotational one of  h. The ecliptic coordinates of the pole of the orbit system are and . A possibility of the observation of the eclipsing events during two future oppositions (April 2004 and July 2005) has been predicted.