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Water ice and organics on the surface of the asteroid 24 Themis

Author

Listed:
  • Humberto Campins

    (University of Central Florida, PO Box 162385, Orlando, Florida 32816-2385, USA)

  • Kelsey Hargrove

    (University of Central Florida, PO Box 162385, Orlando, Florida 32816-2385, USA)

  • Noemi Pinilla-Alonso

    (NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA)

  • Ellen S. Howell

    (NAIC-Arecibo Observatory)

  • Michael S. Kelley

    (University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA)

  • Javier Licandro

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Calle Vía Láctea s/n, E-38200 La Laguna, Spain
    University of La Laguna)

  • T. Mothé-Diniz

    (Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro)

  • Y. Fernández

    (University of Central Florida, PO Box 162385, Orlando, Florida 32816-2385, USA)

  • Julie Ziffer

    (University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine 04104, USA)

Abstract

Ice on asteroid 24 Themis Two groups, both using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea in Hawaii but independently, have obtained infrared spectra of the main-belt asteroid 24 Themis consistent with the widespread presence of a frosty coating containing water ice and organics. Although the presence of water on the surface of some asteroids had been inferred from the comet-like activity of several small asteroids, these are the first actual measurements of water and organics in the asteroid belt. The presence of surface ice is particularly surprising because of the relatively short lifetime that exposed ice has at this distance from the Sun — between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Suggested Citation

  • Humberto Campins & Kelsey Hargrove & Noemi Pinilla-Alonso & Ellen S. Howell & Michael S. Kelley & Javier Licandro & T. Mothé-Diniz & Y. Fernández & Julie Ziffer, 2010. "Water ice and organics on the surface of the asteroid 24 Themis," Nature, Nature, vol. 464(7293), pages 1320-1321, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:464:y:2010:i:7293:d:10.1038_nature09029
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09029
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    Cited by:

    1. Yu Jiang & Yanshuo Ni & Hexi Baoyin & Junfeng Li & Yongjie Liu, 2022. "Asteroids and Their Mathematical Methods," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(16), pages 1-28, August.

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