Aperture photometry on asteroid trails: detection of the fastest rotating near-Earth object

Abstract

Context. Near-Earth objects (NEOs) on an impact course with Earth can move at high angular speed. Understanding their properties, including rotation state, is crucial for assessing impact risks and mitigation strategies. Traditional photometric methods face challenges in collecting data on fast-moving NEOs accurately. Aims. This study introduces an innovative approach to aperture photometry tailored to analyzing trailed images of fast-moving NEOs. Our primary aim is to extract rotation state information from these observations, particularly focusing on the efficacy of this technique for fast rotators. Methods. We applied our approach to analyze the trailed images of three asteroids: 2023 CX1, 2024 BX1, and 2024 EF, which were either on a collision courses or performing a close fly-by with Earth. By adjusting aperture sizes, we controlled the effective exposure times to increase the sampling rates of the photometric variations. This enabled us to detect short rotation periods that would be challenging with conventional methods. Results. Our analysis revealed that trailed photometry significantly reduces overhead time associated with CCD read-out, enhancing the sampling rate of the photometric variations. We demonstrated that this technique is particularly effective for fast-moving objects, providing reliable photometric data when the object is at its brightest and closest to Earth. For asteroid 2024 BX1, we detected a rotation period as short as 2.5888 +- 0.0002 seconds, the fastest ever recorded. Our findings underscore the efficacy of trailed observations coupled with aperture photometry for studying the rotation characteristics of small NEOs, offering crucial insights for impact risk assessment and mitigation strategies.