NEOROCKS project: surface properties of small near-Earth asteroids

We present new results of the observing program which is a part of the NEOROCKS project aimed to improve knowledge on physical properties of near-Earth Objects (NEOs) for planetary defense. Photometric observations were performed using the 1.2-m telescope at the Haute-Provence observatory (France) in the BVRI filters of the Johnson-Cousins photometric systems between June 2021 and April 2022. We obtained new surface colours for 42 NEOs. Based on the measured colours, we classified 20 objects as S-complex, nine as C-complex, nine as X-complex, two as D-type, one object as V-type, and one object remained unclassified. For all the observed objects, we estimated their absolute magnitudes and diameters. Combining these new observations with the previously acquired data within the NEOROCKS project extended our data set to 93 objects. The majority of objects in the data set with diameters D < 500 m belongs to a group of silicate bodies, which could be related to observational bias. Based on MOID and delta V values we selected 14 objects that could be accessible by a spacecraft. Notably, we find D-type asteroid (163014) 2001 UA5 and A-type asteroid 2017 SE19 to be of particular interest as possible space mission targets.

Automated summary

This study is part of the NEOROCKS project and aims to improve our understanding of the physical properties of near-Earth Objects (NEOs) for planetary defense. Through photometric observations using the 1.2-m telescope, we obtained new surface colors for 42 NEOs and classified them into different complex types based on their colors. We also estimated the absolute magnitudes and diameters of these objects. Combining these results with previous data, we now have a data set of 93 objects and identified 14 of them as potential targets for space missions.