Apollo asteroids (1566) Icarus and 2007 MK6: Icarus family members?

TL;DR

This study suggests that Apollo asteroids Icarus and 2007 MK6 are likely related, indicating the first detection of an asteroidal NEO family through their similar orbital evolution and potential dust band association.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of an Icarus asteroid family, demonstrating a method to identify NEO families despite complex orbital evolutions.

Findings

Icarus and 2007 MK6 have similar orbital evolution profiles.

The orbital relationship is time-shifted by approximately 1000 years.

Evidence suggests a connection to the Taurid-Perseid meteor swarm.

Abstract

Although it is more complicated to search for near-Earth object (NEO) families than main belt asteroid (MBA) families, since differential orbital evolution within a NEO family can cause current orbital elements to drastically differ from each other, we have found that Apollo asteroids (1566) Icarus and the newly discovered 2007 MK6 are almost certainly related. Specifically, their orbital evolutions show a similar profile, time shifted by only ~1000 yr, based on our time-lag theory. The dynamical relationship between Icarus and 2007 MK6 along with a possible dust band, the Taurid-Perseid meteor swarm, implies the first detection of an asteroidal NEO family, namely the "Icarus asteroid family".