Morphology of craters on Itokawa

Abstract

25143 Itokawa is one of the smallest asteroids ever observed by spacecraft. Images taken by the HAYABUSA spacecraft reveal many unfamiliar morphologies relative to those found on previously explored asteroids. Because impact crater is an important feature on the surface of airless bodies, we investigate morphology of crater on Itokawa. We analyze images of Itokawa, and a detailed shape model of the asteroid that reconstructed from images. On Itokawa, there is no crater with a classical raised rim and bowl-shaped floor morphology, thus circular depressions are picked up as crater candidates at first. Finer material is ease to move to gravitational low regions.