Photometry of 27 Kuiper Belt Objects with ESO/Very Large Telescope (original) (raw)

A&A 380, 347-358 (2001)

1 European Southern Observatory, Casilla 19001, Santiago, Chile
2 Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon Cedex, France
3 Universidad Catolica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
4 Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, 96822 Honolulu, Hawaii
5 National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan

Corresponding author: A. Delsanti, adelsant@eso.org

Received: 12 September 2001
Accepted: 10 October 2001

Abstract

We present visible (BVRI) photometric measurements of 27 Trans-Neptunian objects, obtained with the FORS2 instrument on the ESO/8 m Very Large Telescope (Unit 2) from runs during September and November 2000. The objects display a broad and continuous range of colors from neutral-bluish to very red. Most of the objects also have a linear reflectivity spectrum over the VRI range. There is no evidence of a bimodal color distribution as has been previously reported by other groups. Several objects (1994 TB, 1995 SM55, 1998 UR43, 1999CF119 and 2000 OK67) show evidence of changing color, and should be investigated further. The object 1995 SM55 deserves a more complete study since its neutral-blue colors suggest it could be a good candidate for hosting cometary activity.

Key words: Kuiper Belt / techniques: photometric / minor planets, asteroids

Based on observations performed with the Very Large Telescope facility of the European Southern Observatory at Cerro Paranal, Chile.

Tables 2 and 3 are also available at CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.76.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/380/347