Observations of the potentially hazardous asteroid 275677 and the modeling of its shape

Abstract

Knowledge of the physical properties of asteroids is required in order to calculate the evolution of their orbits under the influence of nongravitational effects. Photometric observations of the potentially hazardous asteroid 275677 were conducted at the Sayan Solar Observatory of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics from March 25, 2014, through April 4, 2014 (at the time when this asteroid approached Earth). The period of rotation of the asteroid about its center of mass and the light curve, which defines the phase dependence of its brightness in a single rotation period, were determined based on the results of measurements performed by the Lafler-Kinman method. A model was constructed based on the obtained light curve. When this model was rotated, the variable component of the reflected radiation in a single revolution matched the variable component of the light curve of the asteroid. The range of possible directions of the axis of rotation of the asteroid was determined in the process of modeling.