Accessible does not mean exploitable: HiPERCAM reveals the ultra-fast rotation of 2022 OB$_5$
Fuente:
arXiv
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2026
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | |
| Etiquetas: |
Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| _version_ | 1866914534587891712 |
|---|---|
| author | Alarcon, Miguel R. Licandro, Javier Serra-Ricart, Miquel Garcia-Álvarez, David Cabrera-Lavers, Antonio |
| author_facet | Alarcon, Miguel R. Licandro, Javier Serra-Ricart, Miquel Garcia-Álvarez, David Cabrera-Lavers, Antonio |
| contents | 2022 OB$_5$ is a sub-10-metre Apollo-type near-Earth asteroid whose orbital configuration placed it among the most dynamically accessible small bodies in near-Earth space, motivating its selection as the target of the first commercial asteroid-prospecting mission. We present its first photometric characterisation, based on high-cadence simultaneous five-band $u_sg_sr_si_sz_s$ observations obtained with HiPERCAM at the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). Analysis of the light curves yields a rotation period of $P_{\rm rot} = 1.542 \pm 0.001$ min, independently confirmed with observations taken by the Two-meter Twin Telescope, establishing 2022 OB$_5$ as an ultra-fast rotator. The reflectance spectrum derived from the simultaneous multiband photometry is featureless and moderately red, consistent with the X-complex. Despite its good orbital accessibility, the ultra-fast rotation of 2022 OB$_5$ poses severe practical challenges for any surface operation with current technology, regardless of compositional interest. This illustrates a population-level challenge: at the sizes and $Δv$ values most favourable for in-situ missions, fast rotation is the dominant spin state, and rotation period measurement is therefore an indispensable prerequisite for evaluating the resource potential of asteroid mission candidates. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_04784 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Accessible does not mean exploitable: HiPERCAM reveals the ultra-fast rotation of 2022 OB$_5$ Alarcon, Miguel R. Licandro, Javier Serra-Ricart, Miquel Garcia-Álvarez, David Cabrera-Lavers, Antonio Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 2022 OB$_5$ is a sub-10-metre Apollo-type near-Earth asteroid whose orbital configuration placed it among the most dynamically accessible small bodies in near-Earth space, motivating its selection as the target of the first commercial asteroid-prospecting mission. We present its first photometric characterisation, based on high-cadence simultaneous five-band $u_sg_sr_si_sz_s$ observations obtained with HiPERCAM at the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). Analysis of the light curves yields a rotation period of $P_{\rm rot} = 1.542 \pm 0.001$ min, independently confirmed with observations taken by the Two-meter Twin Telescope, establishing 2022 OB$_5$ as an ultra-fast rotator. The reflectance spectrum derived from the simultaneous multiband photometry is featureless and moderately red, consistent with the X-complex. Despite its good orbital accessibility, the ultra-fast rotation of 2022 OB$_5$ poses severe practical challenges for any surface operation with current technology, regardless of compositional interest. This illustrates a population-level challenge: at the sizes and $Δv$ values most favourable for in-situ missions, fast rotation is the dominant spin state, and rotation period measurement is therefore an indispensable prerequisite for evaluating the resource potential of asteroid mission candidates. |
| title | Accessible does not mean exploitable: HiPERCAM reveals the ultra-fast rotation of 2022 OB$_5$ |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.04784 |