Issue |
A&A
Volume 666, October 2022
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | A164 | |
Number of page(s) | 10 | |
Section | Planets and planetary systems | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202244059 | |
Published online | 21 October 2022 |
Characterization of the MASCOT landing area by Hayabusa2
1
Luleå University of Technology,
98128
Kiruna, Sweden
e-mail: stefanus.schroder@ltu.se
2
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency,
Sagamihara, Kanagawa
252-5210, Japan
3
Center for Data Science, Ehime University,
Matsuyama, Ehime
790–8577, Japan
4
Kochi University,
Kochi
780-8520, Japan
5
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, University of La Laguna,
38205
La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
6
Planetary Science Institute,
Tucson, AZ
85719-2395, USA
7
University of Tokyo,
Bunkyo, Tokyo
113-0033, Japan
8
Rikkyo University,
Toshima, Tokyo
171-8501, Japan
9
University of Aizu,
Fukushima
965-8580, Japan
10
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology,
Koto, Tokyo
135-0064, Japan
11
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology,
Tsukuba, Ibaraki
305-8567, Japan
12
Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology,
Narashino, Chiba
275-0016, Japan
13
Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR),
12489
Berlin, Germany
14
Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI,
Hayama, Kanagawa
240-0193, Japan
15
University of Tokyo,
Kashiwa, Chiba
277-8561, Japan
16
Hiroshima University,
739-8526
Hiroshima, Japan
17
University of Potsdam,
14469
Potsdam, Germany
18
Institute of Space Systems, German Aerospace Center (DLR),
28359
Bremen, Germany
19
Institute of Geological Sciences, Free University of Berlin,
12249
Berlin, Germany
Received:
20
May
2022
Accepted:
30
August
2022
Context. After landing on C-type asteroid Ryugu, MASCOT imaged brightly colored, submillimeter-sized inclusions in a small rock. Hayabusa2 successfully returned a sample of small particles from the surface of Ryugu, but none of these appear to harbor such inclusions. The samples are considered representative of Ryugu.
Aims. To understand the apparent discrepancy between MASCOT observations and Ryugu samples, we assess whether the MASCOT landing site, and the rock by implication, is perhaps atypical for Ryugu.
Methods. We analyzed observations of the MASCOT landing area acquired by three instruments on board Hayabusa2: a camera (ONC), a near-infrared spectrometer (NIRS3), and a thermal infrared imager. We compared the landing area properties thus retrieved with those of the average Ryugu surface.
Results. We selected several areas and landforms in the landing area for analysis: a small crater, a collection of smooth rocks, and the landing site itself. The crater is relatively blue and the rocks are relatively red. The spectral and thermophysical properties of the landing site are very close to those of the average Ryugu surface. The spectral properties of the MASCOT rock are probably close to average, but its thermal inertia may be somewhat higher.
Conclusions. The MASCOT rock can also be considered representative of Ryugu. Some of the submillimeter-sized particles in the returned samples stand out because of their atypical spectral properties. Such particles may be present as inclusions in the MASCOT rock.
Key words: minor planets, asteroids: individual: Ryugu / methods: data analysis
© S. Schröder et al. 2022
Open Access article, published by EDP Sciences, under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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