A collision in 2009 as the origin of the debris trail of asteroid P/2010 A2

Colin Snodgrass (), Cecilia Tubiana, Jean-Baptiste Vincent, Holger Sierks, Stubbe Hviid, Richard Moissl, Hermann Boehnhardt, Cesare Barbieri, Detlef Koschny, Philippe Lamy, Hans Rickman, Rafael Rodrigo, Benoît Carry, Stephen C. Lowry, Ryan J. M. Laird, Paul R. Weissman, Alan Fitzsimmons and Simone Marchi
Additional contact information
Colin Snodgrass: Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Cecilia Tubiana: Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Jean-Baptiste Vincent: Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Holger Sierks: Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Stubbe Hviid: Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Richard Moissl: Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Hermann Boehnhardt: Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Cesare Barbieri: University of Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy
Detlef Koschny: European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, Postbus 229, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH, The Netherlands
Philippe Lamy: Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR6110 CNRS/Université Aix-Marseille, 38 rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille cedex 13, France
Hans Rickman: Uppsala University, Box 516, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden
Rafael Rodrigo: Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC, Box 3004, 18080 Granada, Spain
Benoît Carry: LESIA, Observatoire de Paris—Meudon, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon cedex, France
Stephen C. Lowry: Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, University of Kent
Ryan J. M. Laird: Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, University of Kent
Paul R. Weissman: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 183-301, Pasadena, California 91101, USA
Alan Fitzsimmons: Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen’s University Belfast
Simone Marchi: University of Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy

Nature, 2010, vol. 467, issue 7317, 814-816

Abstract: When is a comet not a comet? When the peculiar object P/2010 A2 was discovered in January 2010, complete with a tail, it was designated as a comet. But its 'headless' appearance and its orbit in the inner reaches of the main asteroid belt were most un-comet-like, prompting suggestions that it was an asteroid with a tail. Two papers in this issue confirm the status of P/2010 A2 as an asteroid, rather than as a member of the recently recognized class of main-belt comets. Snodgrass et al. observed P/2010 A2 in March using the Rosetta spacecraft, which was approaching the asteroid belt for its 10 July flyby of the asteroid Lutetia. They conclude that the object's tail is made up of debris from an asteroid collision — and computer modelling identifies the event in question as a collision that occurred in February 2009. Jewitt et al. took high-resolution images of P/2010 A2 with the Hubble Space Telescope between January and May 2010, and estimate a 120-metre diameter for the object's 'nucleus', with millimetre-sized dust particles forming the tail. They too trace the collision back to early 2009.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09453

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