2010 AA15
Asteroid once suspected of colliding with 354P/LINEAR.
2010 AA15 is a small main-belt asteroid that was initially suspected to have collided with 354P/LINEAR (P/2010 A2) due to their very similar orbits. However, this connection was later deemed a coincidence. It is associated with the Flora family of asteroids.
- Discovery program
- Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR)
- Discovery location
- Socorro, New Mexico
- Associated asteroid
- 354P/LINEAR (P/2010 A2)
- Asteroid family
- Flora family
Lore & Background
2010 AA15 is a member of the Flora family, an asteroid family produced by a disruptive collision more than 100 million years ago. The Flora family may be the source of the Chicxulub impactor, the likely culprit in the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. 2010 AA15 was initially suspected to have collided with P/2010 A2 due to their very similar orbits, but this was later deemed a coincidence. The Flora family is distinct from the Baptistina family, which subsequent studies on 354P's dynamics have shown an association with.
Reader's Guide
2010 AA15 is notable primarily for its initial suspected role in the first observed small-body collision, involving 354P/LINEAR. The asteroid's very similar orbit to P/2010 A2 led to the hypothesis that it was the impactor that created the dusty, X-shaped debris trail observed around P/2010 A2. However, this connection was later ruled out as a coincidence. The asteroid belongs to the Flora family, which is of particular interest because it may be the source of the Chicxulub impactor, the object believed to have caused the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. This association places 2010 AA15 in a broader context of asteroid families that have been linked to major impact events in Earth's history. The case of 2010 AA15 illustrates the challenges in identifying specific impactors from orbital similarities alone, and highlights the importance of dynamical studies in understanding asteroid family relationships.
Did You Know?
- The suspected collision was later deemed a coincidence.
- 2010 AA15 belongs to the Flora family of asteroids.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 2010 AA15?
It is a small main-belt asteroid classified as a member of the Flora family. The object was picked up by the LINEAR survey at Socorro, New Mexico.
Why was 2010 AA15 once linked to 354P/LINEAR (P/2010 A2)?
Its orbit was so strikingly similar to that of the comet 354P/LINEAR that astronomers initially proposed it might be the parent body that shattered to create the comet's debris trail. The two objects simply shared nearly identical orbital parameters.
Did 2010 AA15 actually collide with 354P/LINEAR?
No. After more detailed orbital analysis, the close resemblance between the two paths was reclassified as a coincidence, and no physical collision is supported by the evidence.
Which asteroid family does 2010 AA15 belong to?
It is grouped with the Flora family, one of the largest and most well-studied clusters of main-belt asteroids.
Who discovered 2010 AA15 and where?
The asteroid was detected by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program, which operates its survey from Socorro, New Mexico.
More in Notable Asteroids 1-24
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