A&A 628, A48 (2019) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201935868 Astronomy & © ESO 2019 Astrophysics Disintegration of active asteroid P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS) Olivier R. Hainaut1, Jan T. Kleyna2, Karen J. Meech2, Mark Boslough3, Marco Micheli4,5, Richard Wainscoat2, Marielle Dela Cruz2, Jacqueline V. Keane2, Devendra K. Sahu6, and Bhuwan C. Bhatt6 1 European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany e-mail:
[email protected] 2 Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA 3 University of NM – 1700 Lomas Blvd, NE. Suite 2200, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 USA 4 ESA SSA-NEO Coordination Centre, Largo Galileo Galilei, 1 00044 Frascati (RM), Italy 5 INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati, 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone (RM), Italy 6 Indian Institute of Astrophysics, II Block, Koramangala, Bengaluru 560 034, India Received 10 May 2019 / Accepted 26 June 2019 ABSTRACT We report on the catastrophic disintegration of P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS), an active asteroid, in April 2016. Deep images over three months show that the object is made up of a central concentration of fragments surrounded by an elongated coma, and presents previously unreported sharp arc-like and narrow linear features. The morphology and evolution of these characteristics independently point toward a brief event on 2016 March 6. The arc and the linear feature can be reproduced by large particles on a ring, moving at ∼2:5 m s−1. The expansion of the ring defines a cone with a ∼40◦ half-opening. We propose that the P/2016 G1 was hit by a small object which caused its (partial or total) disruption, and that the ring corresponds to large fragments ejected during the final stages of the crater formation.