Proposal #488

Understanding the physical properties of binary asteroids (a system where two asteroids orbit a common center of mass) is important for planetary defense. If a binary asteroid were on a collision course with Earth, the presence of two bodies rather than one could significantly affect the strategy for deflection or disruption. Around 500 asteroids are currently known to be binaries. However, it is estimated that binary and triple asteroid systems represent approximately 15% of the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population.

Determining the composition of binary asteroids is crucial for assessing the risk they might pose to Earth and for developing potential mitigation strategies. I am developing photometry algorithms to determine the absolute magnitude (H), rotation period, and mutual orbital period of binary asteroids. By merging observational data from ground-based telescopes with sparse photometry data from ground-based sky surveys (ZTF, ATLAS) and space-based sky surveys (GAIA), I will be able to construct asteroid phase curves and determine H and G parameters. This will allow me to infer their surface characteristics that are statistically correlated with higher or lower albedos and help with the taxonomic classification of these binary asteroids.

In the next couple of weeks, several binary asteroids on which little information is available will be visible in magnitudes between 16.3 to 17.2 making them observable through the AAVSO telescope with high photometric precision.

(4786) Tatianina - Mag 16.3
(2825) Crosby - Mag - 16.9
(1798) Watts - Mag 17.2

I request high-precision light curves (SNR>100) of these asteroids to improve data availability of their physical properties and improve their H and G parameters. I would need 5 sets of images, sidereal tracking in the following sequence of filters: R, B, R, V, R taken for each asteroid. I will share the outcomes of my research with AAVSO as in previous years.