Astrometric and photometric studies of the asteroid 2008 TC3

Near real time astrometric and photometric observations of the asteroid 2008 TC3, discovered 19 hours before it fell to Earth in the area of northern Sudan, were conducted on the night of October 6–7, 2008, using an automated telescope ZA-320M of the Pulkovo Observatory. In the interval of 4 h, 270 observations in the integral band of the telescope were performed, which was about one-third of all global observations of the asteroid. Based on the analysis of all cases, physical parameters of the asteroid were assessed. The estimates of the absolute magnitude of the asteroid (M V = 30.6 ± 0.4 μm), its size (4.8 ± 0.8 m), and weight (131 ± 5 t) were obtained. A frequency analysis of the observational series was conducted, which helped to detect the periodicity in the brightness variation of the asteroid. The elements of the heliocentric orbit of the asteroid were refined. The trajectory of the asteroid, taking into account the atmospheric drag and nonsphericity of the Earth, was simulated.