Near-earth asteroid: (285263) 1998 QE2

We present the results of an integrated effort to constrain the thermal and surface properties of near-Earth asteroid (285263) 1998 QE2 using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) during a historically approach to the Earth in May 2013. The near-infrared spectrum of (285263) 1998 QE2 is red, featureless, and exhibits a strong thermal excess beyond 2.0 μm. We model this thermal excess using the Near-Earth Asteroid Thermal Model and retrieved a model visual albedo of 0.04 ± 0.01, consistent with previous observations. Comparison with newly obtained laboratory spectra of the CM2 chondrites Murchison and the recently fallen Aguas Zarcas as well as archival spectra of Nogoya reveal that QE2 has a more Murchison/Aguas Zargas-like spectrum throughout the NIR. However, our spectrum of (285263) 1998 QE2 does not show the 0.7-μm feature observed by others and also visible in the laboratory spectra of CM2 carbonaceous chondrites. A better understanding of QE2's physical properties could help constrain models of the formation of other low-albedo NEA binaries.