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MPIS_PROJECTS:
Ground-based Obs.
Abstract:
We report on Hubble Space Telescope observations of the active asteroid 288P (300163) that reveal it to be a binary system, and confirm sublimation as the most likely cause of the activity. The observations were obtained at 12 epochs between August 2016 and January 2017, covering both the perihelion and a close perigee of 288P. The combination of similarly sized components, a wide separation, high eccentricity, and activity renders 288P unique among the known binary asteroids. We discuss rotational fission and an impact as possible formation scenarios, and explore the influence of the activity on the evolution of the system.
