9969 Braille: Deep Space 1 infrared spectroscopy, geometric albedo, and classification

Spectra of Asteroid 9969 Braille in the 1.25-2.6 [micro]m region returned by the Deep Space 1 (DS1) Mission show a ~ 10% absorption band centered at 2 [micro]m, and a reflectance peak at 1.6 [micro]m. Analysis of these features suggest that the composition of Braille is roughly equal parts pyroxene and olivine. Its spectrum between 0.4 and 2.5 [micro]m suggests that it is most closely related to the Q taxonomic type of asteroid. The spectrum also closely matches that of the ordinary chondrites, the most common type of terrestrial meteorite. The geometric albedo of Braille is unusually high ([p.sub.v] = 0.34), which is also consistent with its placement within the rarer classes of stony asteroids, and which suggests it has a relatively fresh, unweathered surface, perhaps due to a recent collision. Keywords: Asteroids NEOs; 9969 Braille; Deep Space 1