Water Ice on Kuiper Belt Object 1996 TO[TINF]66[/TINF]

Abstract

The 1.40-2.45 μm spectrum of Kuiper Belt object 1996 TO66 was measured at the Keck Observatory in 1998 September. Its spectrum shows the strong absorptions near 1.5 and 2.0 μm that are characteristic of water ice—the first such detection on a Kuiper Belt object. The depth of the absorption bands and the continuum reflectance of 1996 TO66 suggest the presence of a black- to slightly blue-colored, spectrally featureless particulate material as a minority component mixed with the water ice. In addition, there is evidence that the intensity of the water bands in the spectrum of 1996 TO66 varies with rotational phase, suggesting a "patchy" surface.