5426 SHARP: A PROBABLE HUNGARIA BINARY.

Abstract

Initial CCD photometry observations of the Hungaria asteroid 5426 Sharp in 2014 December and 2015 January at the Center of Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station in Landers, CA, showed attenuations from the general lightcurve, indicating the possibility of the asteroid being a binary system. The secondary period was almost exactly an Earth day, prompting a collaboration to be formed with observers in Europe, which eventually allowed establishing two periods: P₁ = 4.5609 ± 0.0003 h, A₁ = 0.18 ± 0.01 mag and P₂ = 24.22 ± 0.02 h, A₂ = 0.08 ± 0.01 mag. No mutual events, i.e., occultations and/or eclipses, were seen, therefore the asteroid is considered a probable and not confirmed binary.