(379) Huenna's Satellite: A Chip Off The Block
Résumé
We present near-infrared spectral measurements of Themis family asteroid (379) Huenna (D˜98km) and its 6km satellite using SpeX on the NASA IRTF. The companion was farther than 1.5" from the primary at the time of observations and was 5 magnitudes dimmer. We describe a method for separating and extracting the signal of a companion asteroid when the signal is not entirely resolved from the primary. The spectra of (379) Huenna and its secondary are very similar, suggesting the secondary is either a fragment of the primary from a past collision or is a fragment from the collision that created the Themis family.