Search

The Gaia@home project is designed to give scientists another layer of freedom. The project makes possible to perform computations which demand a lot of CPU time – reducing the computational workload and opening up opportunities for heavy processing operations on volunteers computers.Gaia@home allows to create a huge number of small jobs (Gaia data + code), send them to the BOINC platform and collect the results for further analysis.Enjoy Gaia@home either if you are a scientist looking for CPU resources or a volunteer willing to contribute to citizen science. Figure 1. Gaia@home logo. Are you a scientist? Gaia@home can speed up your science! Step 1: Visit https://web.gaiaathome.eu/login and create an account Step 2: Prepare the code used for your calculations following some BOINC rules. Instructions are provided in our site. The code can compute any scientific problem which relies on the Gaia archive data, but also feel free to attach your own data. Step 3: Create a new task. Every task consists of the executable file, compiled according to BOINC guidance (step 2), auxiliary files (e.g. additional input file needed for any job) and a prescription on how to split Gaia archive into a series of parallel, independent jobs. Every BOINC job gets these files, and one portion of the data from the Gaia archive. Step 4: Your task starts running and you will be notified when a number of jobs on the BOINC platform have been completed. Step 5: You will be periodically notified by email about the status of your calculations. Finally, you will be notified when the task is completed and you are ready to download your results! Figure 2. Screenshot of Gaia@home showing the current available computation resources from volunteers. Would you like to contribute to citizen science? Volunteer your free resources! Step 1: Visit http://www.gaiaathome.eu and press on Volunteer now! Step 2: Create an account in BOINC Step 3: Install BOINC app in your device, and start contributing to science! Acknowledgements This work has received funding from European Space Agence under the polish industry incentive scheme - GAVIP-GridComputing (4000120180/17/NL/CBi). TSR acknowledges funding from the NEO-MAPP project (H2020-EU-2-1-6/870377). This work was (partially) funded by the Spanish MICIN/AEI/10.13039/ the Institute of Cosmos Sciences University of Barcelona (ICCUB, Unidad de Excelencia ‘María de Maeztu’) through grant CEX2019-000918-M.

Context (121) Hermione is a large binary asteroid [1] located at the outer edge of the asteroid belt in the Cybele region, where asteroids are thought to be linked to the outer Solar System. Hermione has a Ch/Cgh-type that has been linked to CM chondrites. Adaptive optics observations between 2003 and 2008 suggest a rare bilobate shape for the primary [2,3]. However, Hermione’s shape and bulk density (ranging between 1.4 and 2 g.cm-3) remain poorly constrained to this day. Aim We acquired spatially resolved images and optical lightcurves of Hermione during its close apparition of September 2021. It was the best chance in 13 years to acquire such high angular resolution images (angular diameter = 0.14”). We aimed to constrain Hermione’s 3D shape, hence its volume, and the orbit of its satellite, hence the mass of the system. Combining the volume and the mass allows to constrain the bulk density with high accuracy. Methods We obtained 8 series of 5 images with the SPHERE/ZIMPOL instrument on the Very Large Telescope (ESO Program ID 107.22UT.001; PI: P. Vernazza). These images were combined with optical lightcurves and stellar occultations by the ADAM and MPCD methods [4,5] to reconstruct the asteroid’s 3D shape. For the determination of the satellite’s orbit, we complemented the SPHERE images with a compilation of archival data from other large ground-based AO instruments (KeckII/NIRC2, ESO/VLT/NACO and Gemini-North/NIRI). Then, we used the meta-heuristic algorithm Genoid [6] to accurately determine the orbital elements. Results The determined volume and mass of Hermione yield a new higher bulk density of ~1.7 g.cm-3, more compatible with its Ch/Cgh classification. We will also present our analyse of the shape and compare it with other elongated Ch/Cgh asteroids. Bibliography [1] Merline et al. (2002), IAU Circ. 7980 [2] Marchis et al. (2005), Icarus, 178, 2, p. 450-464 [3] Descamps et al. (2009), Icarus, 203, 1, p. 88-101 [4] Viikinkoski, M., Kaasalainen, M., & Durech, J. (2015), A&A, 576, A8 [5] Capanna, C., Gesquière, G., Jorda, L., Lamy, P., & Vibert, D. (2013), The Visual Computer, 29, 825 [6] Vachier, F., Berthier, J. and Marchis, F. (2012), A&1, 543, A68

Context – Cybele asteroids constitute an appealing reservoir of primitive material genetically linked to the outer Solar system. The physical properties (size, shape) of the largest members can be directly measured with high-angular resolution imagers mounted on large (8-m class) telescopes. Aim – We took advantage of the bright apparition of the most iconic member of the Cybele population, (65) Cybele, in July and August 2021 to acquire high angular resolution images and optical light curves of the asteroid that were used to analyze its shape, topography and bulk properties (volume, density). Methods – Eight series of images were acquired with SPHERE+ZIMPOL on the Very Large Telescope (ESO Program ID 107.22QN.001; PI: Marsset) and combined with optical light curves to reconstruct the shape of the asteroid using the ADAM (Viikinkoski et al. 2015), MPCD (Capanna et al. 2013) and SAGE (Bartczak & Dudziński 2018) algorithms. Results – We will present Cybele’s bulk properties, including its volume-equivalent diameter and average density, in the context of other low-albedo P-type asteroids. We will show that Cybele’s shape and rotation state are entirely compatible to those of a Maclaurin equilibrium figure, opening up the possibility that D≥260 km (M≥1.4x10^19 kg) small bodies from the outer Solar System formed at equilibrium. We will further present the results of N-body simulations used to explore whether the equilibrium shape of Cybele is the result of a large resetting impact (similarly to the case of Hygiea; Vernazza et al. 2020), or if it is primordial (i.e., the result of early internal heating due to the radioactive decay of short- and long-lived radionuclides).

Context. Thanks to the Gaia mission, it will be possible to determine the masses of approximately hundreds of large main belt asteroids with very good precision. We currently have diameter estimates for all of them that can be used to compute their volume and hence their density. However, some of those diameters are still based on simple thermal models, which can occasionally lead to volume uncertainties as high as 20-30%. Aims. The aim of this paper is to determine the 3D shape models and compute the volumes for 13 main belt asteroids that were selected from those targets for which Gaia will provide the mass with an accuracy of better than 10%. Methods. We used the genetic Shaping Asteroids with Genetic Evolution (SAGE) algorithm to fit disk-integrated, dense photometric lightcurves and obtain detailed asteroid shape models. These models were scaled by fitting them to available stellar occultation and/or thermal infrared observations. Results. We determine the spin and shape models for 13 main belt asteroids using the SAGE algorithm. Occultation fitting enables us to confirm main shape features and the spin state, while thermophysical modeling leads to more precise diameters as well as estimates of thermal inertia values. Conclusions. We calculated the volume of our sample of main-belt asteroids for which the Gaia satellite will provide precise mass determinations. From our volumes, it will then be possible to more accurately compute the bulk density, which is a fundamental physical property needed to understand the formation and evolution processes of small Solar System bodies. © ESO 2020., The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement no 687378 (SBNAF). Funding for the Kepler and K2 missions is provided by the NASA Science Mission directorate. L.M. was supported by the Premium Postdoctoral Research Program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The research leading to these results has received funding from the LP2012-31 and LP2018-7 Lendulet grants of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. This project has been supported by the Lendulet grant LP2012-31 of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and by the GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00003 grant of the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH). TRAPPIST-South is a project funded by the Belgian Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS) under grant FRFC 2.5.594.09.F. TRAPPIST-North is a project funded by the University of Liege, and performed in collaboration with Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakesh. E.J. is a FNRS Senior Research Associate. "The Joan Oro Telescope (TJO) of the Montsec Astronomical Observatory (OAdM) is owned by the Catalan Government and operated by the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)." "This article is based on observations made with the SARA telescopes (Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy), whose node is located at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, AZ under the auspices of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO)." "This project uses data from the SuperWASP archive. The WASP project is currently funded and operated by Warwick University and Keele University, and was originally set up by Queen's University Belfast, the Universities of Keele, St. Andrews, and Leicester, the Open University, the Isaac Newton Group, the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, the South African Astronomical Observatory, and by STFC." "This publication makes use of data products from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, which is a joint project of the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration." The work of TSR was carried out through grant APOSTD/2019/046 by Generalitat Valenciana (Spain)

All authors: Ortiz, J. L.; Santos-Sanz, P.; Sicardy, B.; Benedetti-Rossi, G.; Duffard, R.; Morales, N.; Braga-Ribas, F.; Fernández-Valenzuela, E.; Nascimbeni, V.; Nardiello, D.; Carbognani, A.; Buzzi, L.; Aletti, A.; Bacci, P.; Maestripieri, M.; Mazzei, L.; Mikuz, H.; Skvarc, J.; Ciabattari, F.; Lavalade, F. Scarfi, G.; Mari, J. M.; Conjat, M.; Sposetti, S.; Bachini, M.; Succi, G.; Mancini, F.; Alighieri, M.; Dal Canto, E.; Masucci, M.; Vara-Lubiano, M.; Gutiérrez, P. J.; Desmars, J.; Lecacheux, J.; Vieira-Martins, R.; Camargo, J. I. B.; Assafin, M.; Colas, F.; Beisker, W.; Behrend, R.; Mueller, T. G.; Meza, E.; Gomes-Junior, A. R.; Roques, F.; Vachier, F.; Mottola, S.; Hellmich, S.; Campo Bagatin, A.; Alvarez-Candal, A.; Cikota, S.; Cikota, A.; Christille, J. M.; Pál, A.; Kiss, C.; Pribulla, T.; Komžík, R.; Madiedo, J. M.; Charmandaris, V.; Alikakos, J.; Szakáts, R.; Farkas-Takács, A.; Varga-Verebélyi, E.; Marton, G.; Marciniak, A.; Bartczak, P.; Butkiewicz-Baķ, M.; Dudziński, G.; Alí-Lagoa, V.; Gazeas, K.; Paschalis, N.; Tsamis, V.; Guirado, J. C.; Peris, V.; Iglesias-Marzoa, R.; Schnabel, C.; Manzano, F.; Navarro, A.; Perelló, C.; Vecchione, A.; Noschese, A.; Morrone, L., Context. Deriving physical properties of trans-Neptunian objects is important for the understanding of our Solar System. This requires observational efforts and the development of techniques suitable for these studies. Aims. Our aim is to characterize the large trans-Neptunian object (TNO) 2002 TC302. Methods. Stellar occultations offer unique opportunities to determine key physical properties of TNOs. On 28 January 2018, 2002 TC302 occulted a mv ∼ 15.3 star with designation 593-005847 in the UCAC4 stellar catalog, corresponding to Gaia source 130957813463146112. Twelve positive occultation chords were obtained from Italy, France, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Also, four negative detections were obtained near the north and south limbs. This represents the best observed stellar occultation by a TNO other than Pluto in terms of the number of chords published thus far. From the 12 chords, an accurate elliptical fit to the instantaneous projection of the body can be obtained that is compatible with the near misses. Results. The resulting ellipse has major and minor axes of 543 ± 18 km and 460 ± 11 km, respectively, with a position angle of 3 ± 1 degrees for the minor axis. This information, combined with rotational light curves obtained with the 1.5 m telescope at Sierra Nevada Observatory and the 1.23 m telescope at Calar Alto observatory, allows us to derive possible three-dimensional shapes and density estimations for the body based on hydrostatic equilibrium assumptions. The effective diameter in equivalent area is around 84 km smaller than the radiometrically derived diameter using thermal data from Herschel and Spitzer Space Telescopes. This might indicate the existence of an unresolved satellite of up to ∼300 km in diameter, which is required to account for all the thermal flux, although the occultation and thermal diameters are compatible within their error bars given the considerable uncertainty of the thermal results. The existence of a potential satellite also appears to be consistent with other ground-based data presented here. From the effective occultation diameter combined with absolute magnitude measurements we derive a geometric albedo of 0.147 ± 0.005, which would be somewhat smaller if 2002 TC302 has a satellite. The best occultation light curves do not show any signs of ring features or any signatures of a global atmosphere. © ESO 2020., This research was partially based on data taken at the Sierra Nevada Observatory, which is operated by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC). This research is also partially based on data taken at the German-Spanish Calar Alto observatory, which is jointly operated by the Max Planck Institute fur Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC). Part of the results were also based on observations taken at the 1.6m telescope on Pico dos Dias Observatory. This research was partially based on observations collected at the Schmidt telescope 67/92 cm (Asiago, Italy) of the INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova. Funding from Spanish projects AYA2014-56637-C2-1-P, AYA2017-89637-R, from FEDER, and Proyecto de Excelencia de la Junta de Andalucia 2012-FQM1776 is acknowledged. We would like to acknowledge financial support by the Spanish grant AYA-RTI2018-098657-JI00 "LEO-SBNAF" (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and the financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the "Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa" award for the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (SEV- 2017-0709). Part of the research received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under grant agreement no. 687378 and from the ERC programme under Grant Agreement no. 669416 Lucky Star. The following authors acknowledge the respective CNPq grants: FB-R 309578/2017-5; RV-M 304544/2017-5, 401903/2016-8; J.I.B.C. 308150/2016-3; MA 427700/2018-3, 310683/2017-3, 473002/2013-2. This study was financed in part by the CoordenacAo de Aperfeiacoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 and the National Institute of Science and Technology of the e-Universe project (INCT do e-Universo, CNPq grant 465376/2014-2). GBR acknowledges CAPES-FAPERJ/PAPDRJ grant E26/203.173/2016, MA FAPERJ grant E-26/111.488/2013 and ARGJr FAPESP grant 2018/11239-8. E.F.-V. acknowledges support from the 2017 Preeminent Postdoctoral Program (P3) at UCF. C.K., R.S., A.F-T., and G.M. have been supported by the K-125015 and GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00003 grants of the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH), Hungary. G.M. was also supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH) grant PD-128 360. R.K. and T.P. were supported by the VEGA 2/0031/18 grant. We acknowledge the use of Occult software by D. Herald.

Open Access article, published by EDP Sciences, under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Open Access funding provided by Max Planck Society., Non-resolved thermal infrared observations enable studies of thermal and physical properties of asteroids via thermo-physical models provided the shape and rotational properties of the target are well determined. We used calibration-programme Herschel PACS data (70, 100, 160 μm) and state-of-the-art shape models derived from adaptive-optics observations and/or optical light curves to constrain for the first time the thermal inertia of twelve large main-belt asteroids. We also modelled previously well-characterised targets such as (1) Ceres or (4) Vesta as they constitute important benchmarks. Using the scale as a free parameter, most targets required a re-scaling ∼5% consistent with what would be expected given the absolute calibration error bars. This constitutes a good cross-validation of the scaled shape models, although some targets required larger re-scaling to reproduce the IR data. We obtained low thermal inertias typical of large main belt asteroids studied before, which continues to give support to the notion that these surfaces are covered by fine-grained insulating regolith. Although the wavelengths at which PACS observed are longwards of the emission peak for main-belt asteroids, they proved to be extremely valuable to constrain size and thermal inertia and not too sensitive to surface roughness. Finally, we also propose a graphical approach to help examine how different values of the exponent used for scaling the thermal inertia as a function of heliocentric distance (i.e. temperature) affect our interpretation of the results. © V. Alí-Lagoa et al. 2020., The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement number 687378 (SBNAF). C.K., R.S., A.F-T., and G.M. have been supported by the K-125015 and GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00003 grants of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH), Hungary. P.S-S. acknowledges financial support by the Spanish grant AYA-RTI2018-098657-J-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). R.D. and P.S-S. acknowledge financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the "Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa" award for the Instituto de Astrofiica de Andalucia (SEV-2017-0709); they also acknowledge financial support by the Spanish grant AYA-2017-84637-R and the Proyecto de Excelencia de la Junta de Andalucia J.A. 2012-FQM1776.

Context. Asteroid (16) Psyche is the largest M-type asteroid in the main belt and the target of the NASA Psyche mission. It is also the only asteroid of this size (D> 200 km) known to be metal rich. Although various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the rather unique physical properties of this asteroid, a perfect understanding of its formation and bulk composition is still missing. Aims. We aim to refine the shape and bulk density of (16) Psyche and to perform a thorough analysis of its shape to better constrain possible formation scenarios and the structure of its interior. Methods. We obtained disk-resolved VLT/SPHERE/ZIMPOL images acquired within our ESO large program (ID 199.C-0074), which complement similar data obtained in 2018. Both data sets offer a complete coverage of Psyche's surface. These images were used to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) shape of Psyche with two independent shape modeling algorithms (MPCD and ADAM). A shape analysis was subsequently performed, including a comparison with equilibrium figures and the identification of mass deficit regions. Results. Our 3D shape along with existing mass estimates imply a density of 4.20 ± 0.60 g cm-3, which is so far the highest for a solar system object following the four telluric planets. Furthermore, the shape of Psyche presents small deviations from an ellipsoid, that is, prominently three large depressions along its equator. The flatness and density of Psyche are compatible with a formation at hydrostatic equilibrium as a Jacobi ellipsoid with a shorter rotation period of ∼3h. Later impacts may have slowed down Psyche's rotation, which is currently ∼4.2 h, while also creating the imaged depressions. Conclusions. Our results open the possibility that Psyche acquired its primordial shape either after a giant impact while its interior was already frozen or while its interior was still molten owing to the decay of the short-lived radionuclide 26Al., Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programme 199.C-0074 (principal investigator: P. Vernazza). P. Vernazza, A. Drouard, M. Ferrais and B. Carry were supported by CNRS/INSU/PNP. J.H. and J.D. were supported by grant 18-09470S of the Czech Science Foundation and by the Charles University Research Programme no. UNCE/SCI/023. E.J. is F.R.S.-FNRS Senior Research Associate. The work of TSR was carried out through grant APOSTD/2019/046 by Generalitat Valenciana (Spain). This work was supported by the MINECO (Spanish Ministry of Economy) through grant RTI2018-095076-B-C21 (MINECO/FEDER, UE).

Planetary sciences is an exciting part of astronomy, and even though space missions are nowadays providing high-quality data from remote and in-situ measurements of the planets, asteroids and comets, ground-based observations are still yielding exciting results by providing crucial data sets for a better understanding of the diverse bodies in the Solar System. The discovery of thousands of exoplanetary systems during the last few decades further enhances the need for ground-based observations, collaboration between small telescope facilities and for strengthening the contribution of amateur astronomers to planetary sciences. Access to the Europlanet Telescope Network As part of the recently launched Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (EPN 2024 RI; https://bit.ly/2Z1XA8u), a new collaboration between telescopes around the world has been started for providing coordinated observations and rapid responses in support of space missions and in following-up of new events. The so-called Europlanet Telescope Network (https://bit.ly/37SCiyj) will thereby provide professional scientists and amateur astronomers with access to an initial set of 16 telescope facilities (see Fig. 1) up to 2 m in diameter. While the network plans to draw in additional facilities and to build new collaborations, particularly in regions that are currently under-represented in planetary sciences, scientists and amateurs can now apply to visit those facilities that are already participating in the network and have their expenses reimbursed for the time needed to make their observations. This also comprises the possibility of remote observations since the network includes some robotic or remotely operated facilities. The Call for Observations (see website: https://bit.ly/2Br5LDt) runs from June 2020 until the end of 2023, and is coordinated through EPN 2024 RI, which is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program. Fig. 1: The Europlanet Telescope Network (see also Section The Telescopes). Supporting Amateur Astronomers Besides fostering collaboration and providing access to small telescope facilities, the Europlanet Telescope Network also plans to support the integration of amateur astronomers into planetary sciences, since their observations can be of crucial importance for several scientific areas. Planetary atmospheres, for instance, is a field that benefits intensively from amateur astronomers. Their regular observations at high-spatial resolution are used by researchers to perform detailed studies of the atmosphere dynamics of Jupiter and Saturn and surveys of atmospheric activity on Neptune. They also provide excellent coverage of dust storms on Mars and complementary observations of Venus to space missions that observe over different viewing geometries. The accumulated observing time provided by amateurs makes it likely that unexpected events (such as convective storms on Jupiter and Saturn; impacts on Jupiter) are discovered by amateurs faster than by orbiting spacecraft or regular ground-based observation programs. Many amateurs supply their data to public data repositories that cover multiple planets like ALPO-Japan (http://alpo-j.sakura.ne.jp) or PVOL (http://pvol2.ehu.es/pvol2) on a daily basis, resulting in extremely fast follow-ups of interesting events. Space missions like NASA’s Juno keep excellent interactions with amateur astronomers that provide a large amount of observations to the mission through a dedicated website (https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam) used by Juno’s scientists to target some of their high-resolution observations. Advanced asteroid studies by using the GaiaGOSA web service (gaiagosa.eu) is another important example on how amateur observers can help planetary scientists. The photometric observations of asteroids provided by amateurs are essential for the determination of rotation periods. Data gathered from a few oppositions allow to determine detailed physical parameters that are crucial for determining the nature of these particular objects such as spin axis orientation, shape, and size, but also for verifying our understanding of the history of the Solar System. Recently, the data gathered by amateur observers helped to determine more precise shapes and volumes of 13 asteroids (Podlewska-Gaca et al., 2020, A&A, id.A11; see also Fig. 2) and to reveal the true nature of asteroid (10) Hygiea, which turned out to be a perfect candidate for a dwarf planet rather than an asteroid (Vernazza et al., 2020, Nature Astr., 136-141). Fig. 2: The shape of (68) Leto asteroid determined with help of GaiaGOSA observers. The Telescopes (Fig. 1): Pic du Midi Observatory, France: 1.06-m telescope Moletai Astronomical Observatory, Lithuania: 1.65-m and 35/51-cm telescopes Kryoneri Observatory, Greece: 1.2-m telescope Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia: 1.3-m and 61-cm telescopes Faulkes Telescope Project: two 2-m, nine 1-m, and ten 40-cm robotic telescopes Tartu Observatory, Estonia: 1.5-m and 60-cm telescopes, and 30-cm robotic telescope Danish 1.54-m telescope at La Silla Observatory, Chile: 1.54-m telescope Beacon Observatory, UK: 42-cm telescope Observatorie del Teide, Spain: 82-cm and 45-cm telescopes Calar Alto Observatory, Spain: 1.23-m telescope Lisnyky Observation Station, Ukraine: 70-cm telescope Chuguev Observatory, Ukraine: 70-cm telescope Terskol Peak Observatory, Ukraine: 2-m and 60-cm telescopes Konkoly Observatory, Hungary: 1-m and 80-cm telescopes Ussuriysk Astrophysical Observatory, Russia: 25-cm and 50-cm telescopes Rozhen Observatory, Bulgaria: 2-m, 60-cm, and 50/70-cm telescopes Further information available at https://bit.ly/2Br5LDt. Acknowledgements: Europlanet 2024 RI has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.

Context.The vast majority of the geophysical and geological constraints (e.g., internal structure, cratering history) for main-belt asteroids have so far been obtained via dedicated interplanetary missions (e.g., ESA Rosetta, NASA Dawn). The high angular resolution of SPHERE/ZIMPOL, the new-generation visible adaptive-optics camera at ESO VLT, implies that these science objectives can now be investigated from the ground for a large fraction ofD≥ 100 km main-belt asteroids. The sharp images acquired by this instrument can be used to accurately constrain the shape and thus volume of these bodies (hence density when combined with mass estimates) and to characterize the distribution and topography ofD≥ 30 km craters across their surfaces.Aims.Here, via several complementary approaches, we evaluated the recently proposed hypothesis that the S-type asteroid (89) Julia is the parent body of a small compact asteroid family that formed via a cratering collisional event.Methods.We observed (89) Julia with VLT/SPHERE/ZIMPOL throughout its rotation, derived its 3D shape, and performed a reconnaissance and characterization of the largest craters. We also performed numerical simulations to first confirm the existence of the Julia family and to determine its age and the size of the impact crater at its origin. Finally, we utilized the images/3D shape in an attempt to identify the origin location of the small collisional family.Results.On the one hand, our VLT/SPHERE observations reveal the presence of a large crater (D~ 75 km) in Julia’s southern hemisphere. On the other hand, our numerical simulations suggest that (89) Julia was impacted 30–120 Myrs ago by aD~ 8 km asteroid, thereby creating aD≥ 60 km impact crater at the surface of Julia. Given the small size of the impactor, the obliquity of Julia and the particular orientation of the family in the (a,i) space, the imaged impact crater is likely to be the origin of the family.Conclusions.New doors into ground-based asteroid exploration, namely, geophysics and geology, are being opened thanks to the unique capabilities of VLT/SPHERE. Also, the present work may represent the beginning of a new era of asteroid-family studies. In the fields of geophysics, geology, and asteroid family studies, the future will only get brighter with the forthcoming arrival of 30–40 m class telescopes like ELT, TMT, and GMT.

Ortiz, José Luis et. al., Haumea-one of the four known trans-Neptunian dwarf planets- is a very elongated and rapidly rotating body1-3. In contrast to other dwarf planets4-6, its size, shape, albedo and density are not well constrained. The Centaur Chariklo was the first body other than a giant planet known to have a ring system7, and the Centaur Chiron was later found to possess something similar to Chariklo's rings8,9. Here we report observations from multiple Earth-based observatories of Haumea passing in front of a distant star (a multichord stellar occultation). Secondary events observed around the main body of Haumea are consistent with the presence of a ring with an opacity of 0.5, width of 70 kilometres and radius of about 2,287 kilometres. The ring is coplanar with both Haumea's equator and the orbit of its satellite Hi'iaka. The radius of the ring places it close to the 3:1 mean-motion resonance with Haumea's spin period-that is, Haumea rotates three times on its axis in the time that a ring particle completes one revolution. The occultation by the main body provides an instantaneous elliptical projected shape with axes of about 1,704 kilometres and 1,138 kilometres. Combined with rotational light curves, the occultation constrains the three-dimensional orientation of Haumea and its triaxial shape, which is inconsistent with a homogeneous body in hydrostatic equilibrium. Haumea's largest axis is at least 2,322 kilometres, larger than previously thought, implying an upper limit for its density of 1,885 kilograms per cubic metre and a geometric albedo of 0.51, both smaller than previous estimates1,10,11. In addition, this estimate of the density of Haumea is closer to that of Pluto than are previous estimates, in line with expectations. No global nitrogen- or methane-dominated atmosphere was detected.© 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved., J.L.O. acknowledges funding from Spanish and Andalusian grants MINECO AYA-2014-56637-C2-1-P and J. A. 2012-FQM1776 as well as FEDER funds. Part of the research leading to these results received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under grant agreement no. 687378. B.S. acknowledges support from the French grants 'Beyond Neptune' ANR-08-BLAN-0177 and 'Beyond Neptune II' ANR-11-1S56-0002. Part of the research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Community's H2020 (2014-2020/ERG grant agreement no. 669416 'Lucky Star'). A.P. and R.S. have been supported by the grant LP2012-31 of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. All of the Hungarian contributors acknowledge the partial support from K-125015 grant of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH). G.B.-R., F.B.-R., F.L.R., R.V.-M., J.I.B.C., M.A., A.R.G.-J. and B.E.M. acknowledge support from CAPES, CNPq and FAPERJ. J.C.G. acknowledges funding from AYA2015-63939-C2-2-P and from the Generalitat Valenciana PROMETEOII/2014/057. K.H. and P.P. were supported by the project RVO:67985815. The Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley acknowledges a Shoemaker NEO Grant 2013 from The Planetary Society. We acknowledge funds from a 2016 'Research and Education' grant from Fondazione CRT. We also acknowledge the Slovakian project ITMS no. 26220120029.

In this work we present SAGE (Shaping Asteroid models using Genetic Evolution) asteroid modelling algorithm based solely on photometric lightcurve data. It produces non-convex shapes, rotation axes orientati and rotational periods of asteroids. The main concept behind a genetic evolution algorithm is to produce random populations of shapes and spin orientations by mutating a seed shape and iterating the process until it converges to a stable global minimum. To test SAGE we have performed tes on five artificial shapes. We have also modelled (433) Eros and (9) Meti asteroids, as ground truth observations for them exist, allowing us to validate the models. We have compared derived Eros shape with NEAR Shoem model and Metis shape with adaptive optics and stellar occultation observations as with other available Metis models from various inversion methods.

Marciniak, A. et. al..-- 33 p., The available set of spin and shape modelled asteroids is strongly biased against slowly rotating targets and those with low lightcurve amplitudes. This is due to the observing selection effects. As a consequence, the current picture of asteroid spin axis distribution, rotation rates, radiometric properties, or aspects related to the object's internal structure might be affected too. Aims. To counteract these selection effects, we are running a photometric campaign of a large sample of main belt asteroids omitted in most previous studies. Using least chi-squared fitting we determined synodic rotation periods and verified previous determinations. When a dataset for a given target was sufficiently large and varied, we performed spin and shape modelling with two different methods to compare their performance. Methods. We used the convex inversion method and the non-convex SAGE algorithm, applied on the same datasets of dense lightcurves. Both methods search for the lowest deviations between observed and modelled lightcurves, though using different approaches. Unlike convex inversion, the SAGE method allows for the existence of valleys and indentations on the shapes based only on lightcurves. Results. We obtain detailed spin and shape models for the first five targets of our sample: (159) Aemilia, (227) Philosophia, (329) Svea, (478) Tergeste, and (487) Venetia. When compared to stellar occultation chords, our models obtained an absolute size scale and major topographic features of the shape models were also confirmed. When applied to thermophysical modelling (TPM), they provided a very good fit to the infrared data and allowed their size, albedo, and thermal inertia to be determined. Conclusions. Convex and non-convex shape models provide comparable fits to lightcurves. However, some non-convex models fit notably better to stellar occultation chords and to infrared data in sophisticated thermophysical modelling (TPM). In some cases TPM showed strong preference for one of the spin and shape solutions. Also, we confirmed that slowly rotating asteroids tend to have higher-than-average values of thermal inertia, which might be caused by properties of the surface layers underlying the skin depth. © 2018 ESO., This work was supported by grant No. 2014/13/D/ST9/01818 from the National Science Centre, Poland. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement No. 687378. V.K. was supported by the grant from the Slovak Research and Development Agency with number APVV-15-0458.

We present a new non-convex model of the 90 Antiope binary asteroid, derived with a modified version of the SAGE (Shaping Asteroids with Genetic Evolution) method using disk-integrated photometry only. A new variant of the SAGE algorithm capable of deriving models of binary systems is described. The model of 90 Antiope confirms the system's pole solution ($\lambda=199^{\circ}$, $\beta=38^{\circ}$, $\sigma=\pm5^{\circ}$) and the orbital period ($16.505046 \pm 0.000005$ h). A comparison between the stellar occultation chords obtained during the 2011 occultation and the projected shape solution has been used to scale the model. The resulting scaled model allowed us to obtain the equivalent radii ($R_{1}=40.4\pm0.9$ km and $R_{2}=40.2\pm0.9$ km) and the distance between the two system components ($176\pm4$ km), leading to a total system mass of ($9.14\pm0.62$)$\cdot10^{17}$ kg. The non-convex shape description of the components permitted a refined calculation of the components' volumes, leading to a density estimation of $1.67\pm0.23$ g cm$^{-3}$. The intermediate-scale features of the model may also offer new clues on the components' origin and evolution.