Kiselev N. N. (Gorshkov A., N. Karpov N., Shein A.) – Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Polarimetry results of two near-Earth asteroids

Annotation

There are several good reasons why polarimetric observations of near-Earth asteroids (NEOs) are relevant.

1. NEOs make it possible to obtain the phase dependences of the brightness and the degree of polarization of the BCT at large phase angles;
2. Comparisons with the results of observations of comets. Some NEOs may be the cores of extinct comets;
3. NEOs allow us to study the physical properties of bodies of small, kilometer dimensions;
4. Applied importance in connection with the intensification of efforts to solve the problem of asteroid-comet danger.

The results of polarimetric observations of ASZ 2010 XC15 and 2212 (Hephastoist) carried out at large phase angles on the 2nd telescope of the Terskol Peak Observatory in December 2022 and January 2023 are presented. The first of them was an asteroid of an E-type rare for ASZ. The second asteroid is S-type. The data obtained for these asteroids allow us to clarify the magnitude and position of the maximum degree of phase dependence of the polarization of asteroids of these taxonomic classes.