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The impact and recovery of asteroid 2008 TC3

Author

Listed:
  • P. Jenniskens

    (SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 515 North Whisman Road, Mountain View, California 94043, USA)

  • M. H. Shaddad

    (University of Khartoum, PO Box 321, Khartoum 11115, Sudan)

  • D. Numan

    (University of Khartoum, PO Box 321, Khartoum 11115, Sudan)

  • S. Elsir

    (Juba University)

  • A. M. Kudoda

    (University of Khartoum, PO Box 321, Khartoum 11115, Sudan)

  • M. E. Zolensky

    (NASA Johnson Space Center, Mail Code KT, Houston, Texas 77058, USA)

  • L. Le

    (NASA Johnson Space Center, Mail Code KT, Houston, Texas 77058, USA
    Jacobs Technologies Engineering Science Contact Group (ESCG), Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, USA)

  • G. A. Robinson

    (NASA Johnson Space Center, Mail Code KT, Houston, Texas 77058, USA
    Jacobs Technologies Engineering Science Contact Group (ESCG), Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, USA)

  • J. M. Friedrich

    (Fordham University, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, New York 10458, USA
    American Museum of Natural History, 79th Street at Central Park West, New York, New York 10024, USA)

  • D. Rumble

    (Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington DC 20015-1305, USA)

  • A. Steele

    (Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington DC 20015-1305, USA)

  • S. R. Chesley

    (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA)

  • A. Fitzsimmons

    (School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

  • S. Duddy

    (School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

  • H. H. Hsieh

    (School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

  • G. Ramsay

    (Armagh Observatory, College Hill)

  • P. G. Brown

    (University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada)

  • W. N. Edwards

    (University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada)

  • E. Tagliaferri

    (ET Space Systems, 5990 Worth Way, Camarillo, California 93012, USA)

  • M. B. Boslough

    (Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA)

  • R. E. Spalding

    (Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA)

  • R. Dantowitz

    (Clay Center Observatory, Dexter and Southfield Schools, 20 Newton Street, Brookline, Massachusetts 02445, USA)

  • M. Kozubal

    (Clay Center Observatory, Dexter and Southfield Schools, 20 Newton Street, Brookline, Massachusetts 02445, USA)

  • P. Pravec

    (Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences, Fričova 298, 25165 Ondřejov Observatory, Czech Republic)

  • J. Borovicka

    (Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences, Fričova 298, 25165 Ondřejov Observatory, Czech Republic)

  • Z. Charvat

    (Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Na Sabatce 17, 143 06 Praha 4, Czech Republic)

  • J. Vaubaillon

    (Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Éphémérides, 77 avenue Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France)

  • J. Kuiper

    (Dutch Meteor Society, Akker 141, 3732 XD De Bilt, The Netherlands)

  • J. Albers

    (SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 515 North Whisman Road, Mountain View, California 94043, USA)

  • J. L. Bishop

    (SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 515 North Whisman Road, Mountain View, California 94043, USA)

  • R. L. Mancinelli

    (SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 515 North Whisman Road, Mountain View, California 94043, USA)

  • S. A. Sandford

    (NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA)

  • S. N. Milam

    (NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA)

  • M. Nuevo

    (NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA)

  • S. P. Worden

    (NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA)

Abstract

Needle in a haystack: tracking down the fragments of asteroid 2008 TC3 On 6 October 2008, a small Earth-bound asteroid designated 2008 TC3 was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey. Some 19 hours — and many astronomical observations — later it entered the atmosphere and disintegrated at 37 km altitude. No macroscopic fragments were expected to have survived but a dedicated search along the approach trajectory in a desert in northern Sudan has recovered 47 meteorites, fragments of a single body named Almahata Sitta, with a total mass of 3.95 kg. The asteroid and meteorite reflectance spectra identify the asteroid as surface matter from a class 'F' asteroid, material so fragile that it was not previously represented in meteorite collections. To have recovered meteorites from a known class of asteroids is a coup on a par with a successful spacecraft sample-return mission — without the rocket science.

Suggested Citation

  • P. Jenniskens & M. H. Shaddad & D. Numan & S. Elsir & A. M. Kudoda & M. E. Zolensky & L. Le & G. A. Robinson & J. M. Friedrich & D. Rumble & A. Steele & S. R. Chesley & A. Fitzsimmons & S. Duddy & H. , 2009. "The impact and recovery of asteroid 2008 TC3," Nature, Nature, vol. 458(7237), pages 485-488, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:458:y:2009:i:7237:d:10.1038_nature07920
    DOI: 10.1038/nature07920
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