[en] As the first interstellar comet, 2I/Borisov provides a unique opportunity to study the surface composition of a comet from another stellar system, particularly whether it has water ice. In order to investigate the nature of 2I/Borisov, we conducted infrared observations close to perihelion. The water ice, if present, is expected to be revealed by absorption features at 1.5 and 2 micron. We therefore used FLAMINGOS-2 mounted on the Gemini south telescope, to carry out deep imaging on 2019 November 30 UT and spectroscopy on 2019 December 7 UT. At first glance, our imaging did not reveal an apparent coma or a cometary tail. This is due to the bright sky background and our short exposure times. Nevertheless we were able to put an upper limit of the size of the nucleus, as well as provide high-precision astrometry that can be used to investigate nongravitational acceleration in the future. Our infrared spectra showed a negative slope, contrary to the results by Yang et al. It is not unheard of for a comet to show a negative slope, and to progressively exhibit a spectrum with decreasing slope. Possible causes of the decreasing slope are an increase in water ice and/or decrease in dust size. Given the fact that our observations were carried out close to perihelion, it is likely that both factors contribute to the decreasing, negative slope of the infrared spectrum.

[en] In order to look for large super-fast rotators, in late 2014 and early 2015, five dedicated surveys covering ∼188 deg² in the ecliptic plane have been carried out in the R -band, with ∼10 minute cadence using the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory. Among 1029 reliable rotation periods obtained from the surveys, we discovered 1 new large super-fast rotator, (40511) 1999 RE88, and 18 other candidates. (40511) 1999 RE88 is an S-type inner main-belt asteroid with a diameter of D  = 1.9 ± 0.3 km, a rotation period of P  = 1.96 ± 0.01 hr, and a light curve amplitude of Δ m  ∼ 1.0 mag. To maintain such fast rotation, an internal cohesive strength of ∼780 Pa is required. Combining all known large super-fast rotators, their cohesive strengths all fall in the range of 100–1000 Pa of lunar regolith. However, the number of large super-fast rotators seems to be far less than the whole asteroid population. This might indicate a peculiar asteroid group for them. Although the detection efficiency for a long rotation period is greatly reduced due to our two-day observation time span, the spin-rate distributions of this work show consistent results with Chang et al. (2015), after considering the possible observational bias in our surveys. It shows a number decrease with an increase of spin rate for asteroids with a diameter of 3 ⩽  D  ⩽ 15 km, and a number drop at a spin rate of f  = 5 rev day⁻¹ for asteroids with D  ⩽ 3 km.

[en] 2I/Borisov is the first-ever observed interstellar comet (and the second detected interstellar object (ISO)). It was discovered on 2019 August 30 and has a heliocentric orbital eccentricity of ∼3.35, corresponding to a hyperbolic orbit that is unbound to the Sun. Given that it is an ISO, it is of interest to compare its properties—such as composition and activity—with the comets in our solar system. This study reports low-resolution optical spectra of 2I/Borisov. The spectra were obtained by the MDM Observatory Hiltner 2.4 m telescope/Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph (on 2019 October 31.5 and November 4.5, UT). The wavelength coverage spanned from 3700  to 9200 Å. The dust continuum reflectance spectra of 2I/Borisov show that the spectral slope is steeper in the blue end of the spectrum (compared to the red). The spectra of 2I/Borisov clearly show CN emission at 3880 Å, as well as C₂ emission at both 4750  and 5150 Å. Using a Haser model to covert the observed fluxes into estimates for the molecular production rates, we find Q(CN) = 2.4 ± 0.2 × 10²⁴ s⁻¹, and Q(C₂) = (5.5 ± 0.4) × 10²³ s⁻¹ at the heliocentric distance of 2.145 au. Our Q(CN) estimate is consistent with contemporaneous observations, and the Q(C₂) estimate is generally below the upper limits of previous studies. We derived the ratio Q(C₂)/Q(CN) = 0.2 ± 0.1, which indicates that 2I/Borisov is depleted in carbon-chain species, but is not empty. This feature is not rare for the comets in our solar system, especially in the class of Jupiter-family comets.

[en] Asteroids of size larger than 150 m generally do not have rotation periods smaller than 2.2 hr. This spin cutoff is believed to be due to the gravitationally bound rubble-pile structures of the asteroids. Rotation with periods exceeding this critical value will cause asteroid breakup. Up until now, only one object, 2001 OE84, has been found to be an exception to this spin cutoff. We report the discovery of a new super-fast rotator, (335433) 2005 UW163, spinning with a period of 1.290 hr and a light curve variation of r' ∼ 0.8 mag from the observations made at the P48 telescope and the P200 telescope of the Palomar Observatory. Its H_r^′=17.69±0.27 mag and multi-band colors (i.e., g' – r' = 0.68 ± 0.03 mag, r' – i' = 0.19 ± 0.02 mag and SDSS i – z = –0.45 mag) show it is a V-type asteroid with a diameter of 0.6 + 0.3/ – 0.2 km. This indicates (335433) 2005 UW163 is a super-fast rotator beyond the regime of the small monolithic asteroid

[en] Two dedicated asteroid rotation-period surveys have been carried out in the R band with ∼20 minute cadence using the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) during 2014 January 6–9 and February 20–23. The total survey area covered 174 deg² in the ecliptic plane. Reliable rotation periods for 1438 asteroids are obtained from a larger data set of 6551 mostly main-belt asteroids, each with $⩾<!--\; ???\; -->10$ detections. Analysis of 1751, PTF-based, reliable rotation periods clearly shows the spin barrier at ∼2 hr for rubble-pile asteroids. We found a new large super-fast rotator, 2005 UW163, and another five candidates as well. For asteroids of $3<<!--\; <\; -->D<<!--\; <\; -->15$ km, our spin-rate distribution shows a number decrease along with frequency after 5 rev day⁻¹, which is consistent with the results of the Asteroid Light Curve Database. The discrepancy between our work and that of Pravec et al. (update 2014 April 20) comes mainly from asteroids with $\mathrm{\Delta <!--\; ??\; -->}m<<!--\; <\; -->0.2$ mag, which could be the result of different survey strategies. For asteroids with $D<<!--\; <\; -->3$ km, we see a significant number drop at f = 6 rev day⁻¹. The relatively short YORP effect timescale for small asteroids could have spun up those elongated objects to reach their spin-rate limit resulting in breakup to create such a number deficiency. We also see that the C-type asteroids show a smaller spin-rate limit than the S-type, which agrees with the general impression that C-type asteroids have a lower bulk density than S-type asteroids.

[en] A new asteroid rotation period survey has been carried out by using the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). Twelve consecutive PTF fields, which covered an area of 87 deg² in the ecliptic plane, were observed in the R band with a cadence of ∼20 minutes during 2013 February 15-18. We detected 2500 known asteroids with a diameter range of 0.5 km ≤D ≤ 200 km. Of these, 313 objects had highly reliable rotation periods and exhibited the 'spin barrier' at ∼2 hr. In contrast to the flat spin-rate distribution of the asteroids with 3 km ≤D ≤ 15 km shown by Pravec et al., our results deviated somewhat from a Maxwellian distribution and showed a decrease at the spin rate greater than 5 rev day^–1. One superfast rotator candidate and two possible binary asteroids were also found in this work.

[en] We report the discovery of two new Be stars, and re-identify one known Be star in the open cluster NGC 6830. Eleven H α emitters were discovered using the H α imaging photometry of the Palomar Transient Factory Survey. Stellar membership of the candidates was verified with photometric and kinematic information using 2MASS data and proper motions. The spectroscopic confirmation was carried out by using the Shane 3 m telescope at the Lick observatory. Based on their spectral types, three H α emitters were confirmed as Be stars with H α equivalent widths greater than −10 Å. Two objects were also observed by the new spectrograph spectral energy distribution-machine (SED-machine) on the Palomar 60-inch Telescope. The SED-machine results show strong H α emission lines, which are consistent with the results of the Lick observations. The high efficiency of the SED-machine can provide rapid observations for Be stars in a comprehensive survey in the future.

[en] The outer solar system contains a large number of small bodies (known as trans-Neptunian objects or TNOs) that exhibit diverse types of dynamical behavior. The classification of bodies in this distant region into dynamical classes—subpopulations that experience similar orbital evolution—aids in our understanding of the structure and formation of the solar system. In this work, we propose an updated dynamical classification scheme for the outer solar system. This approach includes the construction of a new (automated) method for identifying mean motion resonances. We apply this algorithm to the current data set of TNOs observed by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and present a working classification for all of the DES TNOs detected to date. Our classification scheme yields 1 inner centaur, 19 outer centaurs, 21 scattering disk objects, 47 detached TNOs, 48 securely resonant objects, 7 resonant candidates, and 97 classical belt objects. Among the scattering and detached objects, we detect 8 TNOs with semimajor axes greater than 150 au.

[en] We discuss the detection in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS) of two objects in Neptune’s distant 9:1 mean motion resonance at semimajor axis a ≈ 130 au. Both objects are securely resonant on 10 Myr timescales, with one securely in the 9:1 resonance’s leading asymmetric libration island and the other in either the symmetric or trailing asymmetric island. These objects are the largest semimajor axis objects with secure resonant classifications, and their detection in a carefully characterized survey allows for the first robust resonance population estimate beyond 100 au. The detection of these objects implies a 9:1 resonance population of 1.1 × 10⁴ objects with H _r < 8.66 (D ≳ 100 km) on similar orbits (95% confidence range of ∼(0.4–3) × 10⁴). Integrations over 4 Gyr of an ensemble of clones spanning these objects’ orbit-fit uncertainties reveal that they both have median resonance occupation timescales of ∼1 Gyr. These timescales are consistent with the hypothesis that these objects originate in the scattering population but became transiently stuck to Neptune’s 9:1 resonance within the last ∼1 Gyr of solar system evolution. Based on simulations of a model of the current scattering population, we estimate the expected resonance sticking population in the 9:1 resonance to be 1000–4500 objects with H _r < 8.66; this is marginally consistent with the OSSOS 9:1 population estimate. We conclude that resonance sticking is a plausible explanation for the observed 9:1 population, but we also discuss the possibility of a primordial 9:1 population, which would have interesting implications for the Kuiper Belt’s dynamical history.

[en] We report the discovery and orbit of a new dwarf planet candidate, 2015 RR₂₄₅, by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS). The orbit of 2015 RR₂₄₅ is eccentric (e = 0.586), with a semimajor axis near 82 au, yielding a perihelion distance of 34 au. 2015 RR₂₄₅ has $g-<!--\; ???\; -->r=0.59\pm <!--\; ??\; -->0.11$ and absolute magnitude $H_r=3.6\pm <!--\; ??\; -->0.1;$ for an assumed albedo of p _V = 12%, the object has a diameter of ∼670 km. Based on astrometric measurements from OSSOS and Pan-STARRS1, we find that 2015 RR₂₄₅ is securely trapped on ten-megayear timescales in the 9:2 mean-motion resonance with Neptune. It is the first trans-Neptunian object (TNO) identified in this resonance. On hundred-megayear timescales, particles in 2015 RR₂₄₅-like orbits depart and sometimes return to the resonance, indicating that 2015 RR₂₄₅ likely forms part of the long-lived metastable population of distant TNOs that drift between resonance sticking and actively scattering via gravitational encounters with Neptune. The discovery of a 9:2 TNO stresses the role of resonances in the long-term evolution of objects in the scattering disk and reinforces the view that distant resonances are heavily populated in the current solar system. This object further motivates detailed modeling of the transient sticking population.