Polymele has been characterized as a primitive P-type asteroid by the investigators of the Lucy mission.[10] P-type asteroids are known for their low albedo. It has a V–I color index of 0.799,[11] which is lower than that for most larger Jupiter trojans (see table below).
Size, shape, and albedo
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Polymele measures 21.075 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.091,[6][7][12] while in 2018, Marc Buie published an albedo of 0.073 and an absolute magnitude of 11.691 in the S- and/or R band.[8] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for a carbonaceous asteroid of 0.057 and calculates a larger diameter of 26.64 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.6.[13]
On 27 March 2022, multiple astronomers observed a stellar occultation by Polymele, which revealed an apparently elongated projected shape with projected dimensions of 26.2 km × 12.8 km (16.3 mi × 8.0 mi).[15] Additional occultation observations of Polymele from 2020 to 2023 revealed that Polymele's true shape is a highly flattened disk with dimensions 27.0 km × 24.4 km × 10.4 km (16.8 mi × 15.2 mi × 6.5 mi), similar to the large flat lobe of the Kuiper belt object486958 Arrokoth.[16] This unusual flattened shape of Polymele implies that it had retained its original shape from when it formed by accretion.[16]
Rotation
In March 2016, a rotational lightcurve of Polymele was obtained from photometric observations by Marc Buie and colleagues. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 5.8607±0.0005 hours with a small brightness amplitude of 0.09±0.03magnitude (U=2-), which indicates the body is being viewed pole-on.[8] Previously, the Lucy mission team published spin rates of 6.1 and 4 hours, respectively.[10][14]
In a 2021 paper,[9] the Lucy team published a rotation period of 11.5±0.1 hours, implying that the previous period may have been an alias.
The resolved observation of Polymele's shape in multiple occultation events allowed the Lucy team to determine the orientation of Polymele's rotational pole.[5] Polymele's rotational north pole points toward ecliptic latitude –80.9°, which corresponds to an axial tilt of 170.9° with respect to the ecliptic, making Polymele a retrograde rotator.[5]
Satellite
Following observations of an occultation on 26 March 2022, the Lucy mission team reported the discovery of a natural satellite around Polymele. The satellite is a smaller asteroid about 5–6 kilometers (3.1–3.7 miles) in diameter, orbiting nearly in the equatorial plane of Polymele at a distance of 204.4 ± 2.6 km (127.0 ± 1.6 mi).[15][5] Assuming Polymele has a density of 0.7–1 g/cm3, the satellite should have an orbital period between 14.4 and 16.6 days.[5] It will not be assigned a formal name until further observations determine its orbit.[19] The Lucy team refers to the companion by the temporary informal name "Shaun," after Aardman Animations' animated sheep.[17] The satellite was detected again in an occultation on 4 February 2023,[16] in the largest organized occultation expedition in history. Nearly 200 astronomers across two continents participated in the campaign.[20]
Exploration
Lucy mission target
Polymele is planned to be visited by the Lucy spacecraft which launched in 2021. The flyby is scheduled for 15 September 2027, and will approach the asteroid to a distance of 415 km (258 mi) at a relative velocity of 6 km/s (13,000 mph).[10]
^ abcMainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; Kramer, E. A.; Masiero, J. R.; et al. (June 2016). "NEOWISE Diameters and Albedos V1.0". NASA Planetary Data System. 247: EAR-A-COMPIL-5-NEOWISEDIAM-V1.0. Bibcode:2016PDSS..247.....M. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
^ abBuie, Marc W.; Zangari, Amanda Marie; Marchi, Simone; Mottola, Stefano; Levison, Harold F. (October 2016). "Ground-based characterization of Leucus and Polymele, two fly-by targets of the Lucy Discovery mission". American Astronomical Society. 48: 208.06. Bibcode:2016DPS....4820806B.