THE LIGHTCURVE AND COLORS OF UNUSUAL MINOR PLANET 1996-PW

Minor Planet 1996 PW is unusual in having the orbital characteristics of a long period comet but showing no sign of cometary activity around the time of its discovery. We present optical data which reveals a do uble peaked lightcurve (period 35.44 +/- 0.02 hrs and amplitude 0.44 /- 0.03 magnitudes) and VRIJHK photometry which shows colors (V - R = 0.56 +/- 0.04, V - I = 1.03 +/- 0.06, V - J = 1.80 +/- 0.05, V - H = 2 .19 +/- 0.05, and V - K = 2.32 +/- 0.05) typical of D type asteroids a nd suspected bare comet nuclei. A low signal to noise reflectance spec trum in the K band shows a flat continuum with no evidence for spectra l features. Image profiles from coadded frames in the R band indicate no apparent cometary activity with an implied upper limit to the dust production rate of 0.03 kg s(-1). (C) 1998 Academic Press.