@article{db09d28401fe4b198537b1a2a9f3203f,
title = "Lunar-like silicate material forms the Earth quasi-satellite (469219) 2016 HO3 Kamoʻoalewa",
abstract = "Little is known about Earth quasi-satellites, a class of near-Earth small solar system bodies that orbit the sun but remain close to the Earth, because they are faint and difficult to observe. Here we use the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) and the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT) to conduct a comprehensive physical characterization of quasi-satellite (469219) Kamoʻoalewa and assess its affinity with other groups of near-Earth objects. We find that (469219) Kamoʻoalewa rotates with a period of 28.3 (+1.8/−1.3) minutes and displays a reddened reflectance spectrum from 0.4–2.2 microns. This spectrum is indicative of a silicate-based composition, but with reddening beyond what is typically seen amongst asteroids in the inner solar system. We compare the spectrum to those of several material analogs and conclude that the best match is with lunar-like silicates. This interpretation implies extensive space weathering and raises the prospect that Kamo{\textquoteright}oalewa could comprise lunar material.",
author = "Sharkey, {Benjamin N.L.} and Vishnu Reddy and Renu Malhotra and Audrey Thirouin and Olga Kuhn and Albert Conrad and Barry Rothberg and Sanchez, {Juan A.} and David Thompson and Christian Veillet",
note = "Funding Information: B.N.L. Sharkey and V. Reddy{\textquoteright}s work presented in this paper is supported by NASA Near-Earth Object Observations Program Grant NNX17AJ19G (PI: Reddy). This paper uses data taken with the MODS spectrographs built with funding from NSF grant AST-9987045 and the NSF Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP), with additional funds from the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio State University Office of Research. The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy, and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are: The University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University, representing OSU, University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota and University of Virginia. Our results also made use of Lowell Observatory{\textquoteright}s Discovery Telescope (LDT). Lowell operates the LDT in partnership with Boston University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Maryland, Yale University and the University of Toledo. The Large Monolithic Imager was built by Lowell Observatory using funds from the National Science Foundation (AST-1005313). The authors would like to thank Jennifer Power for her expertise in preparation and execution of the LBT observations during the 2021 campaign. We acknowledge the LDT operator, Jason Sanborn. Audrey Thirouin acknowledges Lowell Observatory funding. Taxonomic type results presented in this work were determined, in whole or in part, using a Bus-DeMeo Taxonomy Classification Web tool by Stephen M. Slivan, developed at MIT with the support of National Science Foundation Grant 0506716 and NASA Grant NAG5-12355. Renu Malhotra acknowledges funding from NASA (grants 80NSSC18K0397 and 80NSSC19K0785) and the Marshall Foundation of Tucson, AZ. Funding Information: B.N.L. Sharkey and V. Reddy{\textquoteright}s work presented in this paper is supported by NASA Near-Earth Object Observations Program Grant NNX17AJ19G (PI: Reddy). This paper uses data taken with the MODS spectrographs built with funding from NSF grant AST-9987045 and the NSF Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP), with additional funds from the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio State University Office of Research. The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy, and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are: The University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University, representing OSU, University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota and University of Virginia. Our results also made use of Lowell Observatory{\textquoteright}s Discovery Telescope (LDT). Lowell operates the LDT in partnership with Boston University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Maryland, Yale University and the University of Toledo. The Large Monolithic Imager was built by Lowell Observatory using funds from the National Science Foundation (AST-1005313). The authors would like to thank Jennifer Power for her expertise in preparation and execution of the LBT observations during the 2021 campaign. We acknowledge the LDT operator, Jason Sanborn. Audrey Thirouin acknowledges Lowell Observatory funding. Taxonomic type results presented in this work were determined, in whole or in part, using a Bus-DeMeo Taxonomy Classification Web tool by Stephen M. Slivan, developed at MIT with the support of National Science Foundation Grant 0506716 and NASA Grant NAG5-12355. Renu Malhotra acknowledges funding from NASA (grants 80NSSC18K0397 and 80NSSC19K0785) and the Marshall Foundation of Tucson, AZ. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s).",
year = "2021",
month = dec,
doi = "10.1038/s43247-021-00303-7",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "2",
journal = "Communications Earth and Environment",
issn = "2662-4435",
publisher = "Springer Nature",
number = "1",
}