Ithaca College

Science has accepted Prof. Beth Clark’s paper for publication, “Near Infrared Spectral Results of Asteroid Itokawa from the Hayabusa Spacecraft.”

The Near-Infrared Spectrometer on board the Japanese Hayabusa spacecraft found a variation of more than 10% in albedo and absorption band depth in the surface reflectance of asteroid (25143) Itokawa. Spectral shape over the 1-micron absorption band indicates that the surface of this body has an olivine-rich mineral assemblage, potentially similar to that of LL5 or LL6 chondrites. Diversity in the physical condition of Itokawa’s surface appears to be larger than on other S-type asteroids such as Eros, Ida and Gaspra, which were previously explored by spacecraft.