F-type asteroids are a relatively uncommon type of
carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalence, tetravalent—meaning that its atoms are able to form up to four covalent bonds due to its valence shell exhibiting 4 ...
aceous
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
, falling into the wider
C-group
The C-Group culture is an archaeological culture found in Nubia, Lower Nubia, which dates from 2400 BCE to 1550 BCE. It was named by George A. Reisner. With no central site and no written evidence about what these people called themselves, Re ...
.
Characteristics
F-type asteroids have spectra generally similar to those of the
B-type asteroids, but
lack the "water" absorption feature around 3 μm indicative of hydrated minerals, and differ in the low wavelength part of the
ultraviolet
Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...
spectrum below 0.4 μm.
The F-type and
B-type asteroid
B-type asteroids are a relatively uncommon type of carbonaceous asteroid, falling into the wider C-type asteroid#C-group asteroids, C-group; the 'B' indicates these objects are spectrally blue. In the asteroid population, B-class objects can be f ...
s are not distinguishable with the criteria used in the
SMASS classification
An asteroid spectral type is assigned to asteroids based on their reflectance spectrum, color, and sometimes albedo. These types are thought to correspond to an asteroid's surface composition. For small bodies that are not internally different ...
, so in that scheme are grouped together under the
B-type.
See also
*
Asteroid spectral types
An asteroid spectral type is assigned to asteroids based on their reflectance spectrum, color, and sometimes Astronomical albedo, albedo. These types are thought to correspond to an asteroid's surface composition. For small bodies that are not p ...
References
Asteroid spectral classes
*
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