Near-Earth asteroids among the Piscids meteoroid stream

¹ Institute of Astrophysics, Dushanbe 734042, Tajikistan e-mail: P.B.Babadzhanov@mail.ru
² Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS, UK e-mail: I.P.Williams@qmul.ac.uk

Received: 29 June 2007
Accepted: 26 October 2007

Abstract

It is now accepted that some near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) may be dormant or dead comets. One strong indicator of cometary nature is the existence of an associated meteoroid stream with its consequent observed meteor showers. We identify a complex of four NEAs (1997GL3, 2000PG3, 2002GM2, and 2002JC9) which have very similar orbits and a likely common progenitor. We also calculate the theoretical parameters for any meteor shower that may be associated with this complex. Finally we carried out of a search of existing catalogues of meteor showers and found that activity has been observed corresponding to each of the theoretically predicted showers. We conclude that the complex of four NEAs is the result of a cometary break-up.