Targeting (253) Mathilde

Details Targeting (253) Mathilde Targeting (253) Mathilde

Sep 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996dps....28.1013d&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #28, #10.13; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 28, p.1098

Other

Scientific paper

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft was successfully launched on February 17th on its 3-year journey to rendezvous with the asteroid (433) Eros. On June 26, 1997, NEAR will fly by the C-class slow-rotating (17-day rotation period) asteroid (253) Mathilde. This paper will describe some of the early NEAR operations, especially the trajectory correction maneuvers that have been performed so far to target the Mathilde flyby. Preliminary plans for the flyby will be mentioned. On July 9th this year, Mathilde occulted an 11th-magnitude star in Virgo. Since the nominal path was close to the Baja California peninsula, the NEAR Project was willing to fund the travel to set up 4 stations with 8-inch telescopes and image-intensified video systems to record this event, which could have provided an approximate size and shape of Mathilde that could aid planning for next year's NEAR flyby. Special astrometric observations were made at the Lick, U. S. Naval (Flagstaff), and Ondrejov Observatories to update the prediction for the occultation. Mathilde is relatively small for occultation work, having a diameter of 61 km based on IRAS observations. Unfortunately, the astrometric observations showed that the path for the occultation would pass offshore in the Pacific Ocean, about 150 km southwest of the southwestern coast of southern Baja California. As a result, the travel plans and the expedition were cancelled at the last minute, less than 48 hours before the event. But the techniques and planning developed for this event could be used for future occultations of other relatively small asteroids of special interest.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Targeting (253) Mathilde does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Targeting (253) Mathilde, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Targeting (253) Mathilde will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1461380