Q-type asteroids are relatively uncommon inner-belt asteroid

Asteroid

Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...

s with a strong, broad 1 micrometre

Micrometre

A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...

 olivine

Olivine

The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....

 and pyroxene

Pyroxene

The pyroxenes are a group of important rock-forming inosilicate minerals found in many igneous and metamorphic rocks. They share a common structure consisting of single chains of silica tetrahedra and they crystallize in the monoclinic and orthorhombic systems...

 feature, and a spectral slope that indiciates the presence of metal. There are absorption features shortwards and longwards of 0.7 µm, and the spectrum is generally intermediate between the V

V-type asteroid

The spectra of the V-type asteroids or Vestoids are similar to that of 4 Vesta, by far the largest asteroid in this class ....

 and S-type

S-type asteroid

S-type asteroids are of a stony composition, hence the name. Approximately 17% of asteroids are of this type, making it the second most common after the C-type.-Characteristics:...

.

Q-type asteroids are spectrally more similar to ordinary chondrite

Ordinary chondrite

The Ordinary chondrites are a class of stony chondritic meteorites. They are by far the most numerous group and comprise about 87% of all finds...

 meteorites (types H

H chondrite

The H type ordinary chondrites are the most common type of meteorite, accounting for approximately 40% of all those catalogued, 46% of the ordinary chondrites, and 44% of the chondrites....

, L

L chondrite

The L type ordinary chondrites are the second most common type of meteorite, accounting for approximately 35% of all those catalogued, and 40% of the ordinary chondrites....

, LL

LL chondrite

The LL chondrites are a class of stony meteorites, the least abundant group of the ordinary chondrites, accounting for about 10–11% of observed ordinary-chondrite falls and 8–9% of all meteorite falls ....

) than any other asteroid type. This has led scientists to speculate that they are abundant, but only a few of this type has been characterized. Examples of Q-type asteroids are: 1862 Apollo

1862 Apollo

1862 Apollo is a Q-type asteroid, discovered by Karl Reinmuth in 1932, but lost and not recovered until 1973. It is named after the Greek god Apollo....

 and 2063 Bacchus

2063 Bacchus

The Apollo, Venus- and Mars-crosser asteroid 2063 Bacchus was discovered on April 24, 1977, by Charles T. Kowal at the Palomar Observatory. In March 1996 radar observations of the asteroid were conducted at the Goldstone Observatory under the direction of JPL scientists Steven Ostro and Lance...

, as well as the unnumbered asteroids 1991 BN and 1997 US9.