Unveiling the nature of 10199 Chariklo: near-infrared observations and modeling

10199 Chariklo (1997 CU26) is the largest Centaur so far known. We carried out near-infrared observations of this object during two different runs separated by a year. Although no evidence for spectral variations has been found over short time scales, slight differences have been detected between the two observational runs. We interpret these findings as likely due to a heterogeneous composition of the surface of Chariklo. We suggest two different models comprising geographical mixtures of tholins, amorphous carbon, and water ice in slightly different percentages. Our observations confirm the presence of water ice on the surface of this Centaur, as already detected by Brown et al. (1998, Science 280, 1430–1432) and Brown and Koresko (1998, Astrophys. J. 505, L65–67).