Colors and Dynamics of a Near-Sun Orbital Asteroid Family: 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Sheppard, Scott, Hsieh, Henry, Pokorny, Petr, Tholen, David, Thirouin, Audrey, Contreras, Carlos, Mora, Marcelo, Martinez, Mauricio, Toro, Ivonne
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Sheppard, Scott
Hsieh, Henry
Pokorny, Petr
Tholen, David
Thirouin, Audrey
Contreras, Carlos
Mora, Marcelo
Martinez, Mauricio
Toro, Ivonne
author_facet Sheppard, Scott
Hsieh, Henry
Pokorny, Petr
Tholen, David
Thirouin, Audrey
Contreras, Carlos
Mora, Marcelo
Martinez, Mauricio
Toro, Ivonne
contents We observed the dynamically similar near-Sun asteroids 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1 for their optical colors. These objects have the lowest known semi-major axes of any asteroids. 2021 PH27 has the largest general relativistic effects of any known solar system object. The small semi-major axis and very close passage to the Sun suggests the extreme thermal and gravitational environment should highly modify these asteroids' surfaces. From g', r', i' and z'-band imaging, we find the colors of 2021 PH27 to be between the two major asteroid types the S and C classes (g'-r'= 0.58 +- 0.02, r'-i'=0.12 +- 0.02 and i'-z'=-0.08 +- 0.05 mags). With a spectral slope of 6.8 +-0.03 percent per 100nm, 2021 PH27 is a X-type asteroid and requires albedo or spectral features to further identify its composition. We find the dynamically similar 2025 GN1 also has very similar colors (g'-r'=0.55 +-0.06 and r'-i'=0.14 +-0.04) as 2021 PH27, suggesting these objects are fragments from a once larger parent asteroid or 2021 PH27 is shedding material. The colors are not blue like some other near-Sun asteroids such as 3200 Phaethon that have been interpreted to be from the loss of reddening substances from the extreme temperatures. There is no evidence of activity or a large amplitude period for 2021 PH27, whereas 2025 GN1 might have a more significant rotational light curve. 2025 GN1 may have a very close encounter or hit Venus in about 2155 years and likely separated from 2021 PH27 in about the last 10 kyrs.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_16175
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Colors and Dynamics of a Near-Sun Orbital Asteroid Family: 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1
Sheppard, Scott
Hsieh, Henry
Pokorny, Petr
Tholen, David
Thirouin, Audrey
Contreras, Carlos
Mora, Marcelo
Martinez, Mauricio
Toro, Ivonne
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
We observed the dynamically similar near-Sun asteroids 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1 for their optical colors. These objects have the lowest known semi-major axes of any asteroids. 2021 PH27 has the largest general relativistic effects of any known solar system object. The small semi-major axis and very close passage to the Sun suggests the extreme thermal and gravitational environment should highly modify these asteroids' surfaces. From g', r', i' and z'-band imaging, we find the colors of 2021 PH27 to be between the two major asteroid types the S and C classes (g'-r'= 0.58 +- 0.02, r'-i'=0.12 +- 0.02 and i'-z'=-0.08 +- 0.05 mags). With a spectral slope of 6.8 +-0.03 percent per 100nm, 2021 PH27 is a X-type asteroid and requires albedo or spectral features to further identify its composition. We find the dynamically similar 2025 GN1 also has very similar colors (g'-r'=0.55 +-0.06 and r'-i'=0.14 +-0.04) as 2021 PH27, suggesting these objects are fragments from a once larger parent asteroid or 2021 PH27 is shedding material. The colors are not blue like some other near-Sun asteroids such as 3200 Phaethon that have been interpreted to be from the loss of reddening substances from the extreme temperatures. There is no evidence of activity or a large amplitude period for 2021 PH27, whereas 2025 GN1 might have a more significant rotational light curve. 2025 GN1 may have a very close encounter or hit Venus in about 2155 years and likely separated from 2021 PH27 in about the last 10 kyrs.
title Colors and Dynamics of a Near-Sun Orbital Asteroid Family: 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1
topic Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.16175