Program: GS-2006A-Q-51

The recent discovery of a basaltic composition of 1459 Magnya, a relatively small asteroid in the outer main belt with no apparent link to 4 Vesta, raised several hypotheses on its origin. If this object is a product of the catastrophic fragmentation of a large differentiated body, we should expect to find other fragments with a basaltic composition (V type) like 1459 Magnya, but up to now no other V type asteroid has been identified beyond 2.5 AU. The eventual discovery of such objects would provide important evidence to support the idea that more than one differentiated asteroid existed in the main belt, something which is still a matter of controversy. The Gemini telescope with GMOS can obtain spectra with good S/N of a substantial number of V-type candidates in the outer main asteroid belt, providing fundamental data in the study of the formation and evolution of the Solar System.