Aten,
q = 0.277 AU, a = 0.991 AU, i = 22.7 deg (MPEC 2002-T01)
Observations made by the Ondrejov group and by the group of
University of Western Ontario (led Peter Brown) on 2001 Sept. 18.9
and on 2002 Sept. 13.0, 13.3, 14.0, 15.9, and 28.8 reveal a lightcurve
with a low amplitude short period (~2.6 h) variation and a superposed
deep attenuations. This lightcurve character is typical for binary NEAs,
see the list of known
binary NEAs
and references therein. A tentative solution for system's parameters
suggests an orbital period of 1.82 d and D_s/D_p around 0.5,
but more data are really needed to obtain a unique and reliable solution.
Fig. 1: Tentative composite lightcurve showing both the long period
attenuations, supposed to be occultation/eclipse events, and the superposed
short-period, low-amplitude variation due to the fast rotation of the primary.