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    Asteroid (21) Lutetia: Low Mass, High Density

    Publication date: 28 Oct 2011

    Authors: Pätzold, M., et al.

    Journal: Science
    Volume: 334
    Issue: 6055
    Page: 491-492
    Year: 2011

    Copyright: AAAS

    Asteroid 21 Lutetia was approached by the Rosetta spacecraft on 10 July 2010. The additional Doppler shift of the spacecraft radio signals imposed by 21 Lutetia's gravitational perturbation on the flyby trajectory were used to determine the mass of the asteroid. Calibrating and correcting for all Doppler contributions not associated with Lutetia, a least-squares fit to the residual frequency observations from 4 hours before to 6 hours after closest approach yields a mass of (1.700 ± 0.017) × 1018 kilograms. Using the volume model of Lutetia determined by the Rosetta Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) camera, the bulk density, an important parameter for clues to its composition and interior, is (3.4 ± 0.3) × 103 kilograms per cubic meter.

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    Last Update: 01 Nov 2011

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    • See also
    • Rosetta reveals mysterious Lutetia

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