Rendezvous Mission to Apophis: VI. Observation Campaign during the 2021 Apparition

  • Published : 2021.10.13

Abstract

On March 6 2021, Apophis made a close approach to the Earth with a minimum distance of 0.11 AU when the apparent magnitude reached up to V~16. This was the most favorable condition to observe this asteroid until its 2029 encounter. The observations during this apparition were extremely important to determine major physical properties, such as size, rotational state, 3D shape model, surface mineral properties. So, we organized the observation campaign during the 2021 apparition. The main goals of our campaign are to refine the spin state and 3D shape model and check the surface composition variations. The campaign involved dozens of countries and included ground-based photometry and spectroscopy, and spacecraft observations. Our timely observation campaign will provide essential data in planning the operation scenario for the space mission. In this presentation, we will report the preliminary result of the Apophis observation campaign during the 2021 apparition.

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