D-type asteroid explained

D-type asteroids have a very low albedo and a featureless reddish spectrum. It has been suggested that they have a composition of organic-rich silicates, carbon and anhydrous silicates, possibly with water ice in their interiors.^[1] D-type asteroids are found in the outer asteroid belt and beyond; examples are 152 Atala, 944 Hidalgo and most Jupiter trojans. It has been suggested that the Tagish Lake meteorite was a fragment from a D-type asteroid, and that the Martian moon Phobos is closely related.

The Nice model suggests that D-type asteroids may have originated in the Kuiper belt. 46 D-type asteroids are known, including: 3552 Don Quixote, 944 Hidalgo, 624 Hektor, and 10199 Chariklo.

Examples

A list of some of the largest D-type asteroids.

Name of Asteroid	Classification		Diameter (km)	Diameter method	Minor planet category
	SMASS	Tholen
	D	DU			Main-belt asteroid
		D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	Xk	D		IRAS	Main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Main-belt asteroid
	–	D		Direct imaging	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	T	D		IRAS	Main-belt asteroid
	–	D		Absmag	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		Absmag	Centaur
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Outer main-belt asteroid
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	–	D		IRAS	Jupiter trojan
	D	–		n.a.	Centaur

See also

• Asteroid spectral types
• Tagish Lake (meteorite)

Notes and References

1. Jones . Thomas D. . Lebofsky . Larry A. . Lewis . John S. . Marley . Mark S. . 1990-11-01 . The composition and origin of the C, P, and D asteroids: Water as a tracer of thermal evolution in the outer belt . Icarus . 88 . 1 . 172–192 . 10.1016/0019-1035(90)90184-B . 0019-1035.