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Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO
Published on: February 12, 2013
ANOTHER TRIO OF POSSIBLE VERY WIDE BINARY ASTEROIDS
Brian D Warner1, Robert D Stephens2
1Center for Solar System Studies / MoreData! 446 Sycamore Ave., Eaton, CO 80615 USA.
Abstract:
Lightcurve analysis of the near-Earth asteroids (442742) 2012 WP3, (523604) 2004 QB17, and 2018 RL indicate that they are potential members of a relatively rare class of "very wide binary asteroids." These objects feature a primary rotational period of tens to hundreds of hours and a secondary rotational period less than 24 hours, usually less than 10 hours. These three bring to 30 the number of suspected members of the class.
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