Deep core soil samples from KBS LTER Scaleup fields at the Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI (2010 to 2010)

Kravchenko, Alexandra; Snapp, Sieglinde; Robertson, G.

doi:10.6073/pasta/b2c09e36bfcc3cd8f3a54a30a49abeb9

Abstract We announce the discovery of a main-belt comet (MBC), 2010 LH₁₅(alternately designated 2010 TJ₁₇₅). MBCs are a rare type of main-belt asteroid that display comet-like activity, such as tails or comae, caused by sublimation. Consequently, MBCs help us map the location of solar system volatiles, providing insight into the origins of material prerequisite for life as we know it. However, MBCs have proven elusive, with fewer than 20 found among the 1.1 million known main-belt asteroids. This finding derives from Active Asteroids, a NASA Partner Citizen Science program we designed to identify more of these important objects. After volunteers classified an image of 2010 LH₁₅as showing activity, we carried out a follow-up investigation which revealed evidence of activity from two epochs spanning nearly a decade. This discovery is timely, with 2010 LH₁₅inbound toward its 2024 March perihelion passage, with potential activity onset as early as late 2023.

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