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M. D. Hicks, P. R. Weissman, D. L. Rabinowitz, A. B. Chamberlin, B. J. Buratti (JPL), C. O. Lee (City College of San Francisco)
We obtained BVRI photometry of the recently discovered Earth-crossing asteroid 1998 KY26 with the 0.6m telescope at the Table Mountain Observatory, and of 1998 ML14 with the 2.5m and 2.2m telescopes at the Las Campanas and University of Hawaii Observatories, respectively. Both objects have perigees during their discovery apparition which allow for radar observations [1]. The two asteroids vary greatly in absolute magnitude, with an estimated diameter of 40 meters for 1998 KY26 and 1 km for 1998 ML14. Preliminary reductions of the lightcurve data give a rotational period of 14.98 +/- 0.06 hours for 1998 ML14 and 10.69 +/- 0.02 minutes for 1998 KY26 [2]. The extremely fast rotation of 1998 KY26 implies that the object must be a monolithic body [3]. The colors and rotational properties of these two objects will be discused in context with our ongoing photometric survey of near-Earth asteroids [4].
[1] Ostro S., L. Benner, J. Giorgini, K. Rosema, and D. Yeomans. 1998. 1998 KY26. IAUC 6935. [2] Hicks M. and D. Rabinowitz. 1998. 1998 KY26. IAUC 6945. [3] Pravec P. and L. Sarounova. 1998. 1998 KY26. IAUC 6941. [4] Rabinowitz, D.L. and M.D. Hicks 1998. The Table Mountain Photometric Survey of Near-Earth Asteroids. This proceedings.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: hicksm@galah.jpl.nasa.gov