The Minor Planet Bulletin BULLETIN OF THE MINOR PLANETS SECTION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF LUNAR AND PLANETARY OBSERVERS
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The Minor Planet Bulletin is the journal for almost all amateurs and even some professionals for publishing
asteroid photometry results, including lightcurves, H-G parameters, color indexes, and shape/spin axis models.
It is considered to be a refereed journal by the SAO/NASA ADS.
All MPB papers are indexed in the ADS.
Print subscriptions are no longer available to individuals. Institutions (e.g., college libraries) can still
obtain print copies via a special subscription. See details in MPB 37-4 or contact the editor, Richard Binzel.
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Minor Planet Bulletin
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Authors Guide and Word Templates
(v.3.0: updated 2024 February 2)
The ZIP file contains the Authors Guide PDF as well as a "starter" paper in Word 2007+ (DOTX).
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A new, optional, table is available for those wanting to include physical and
discovery information
in a more accessible way.
See the announcement in Minor Planet Bulletin51-2.
The Pts column is no longer required and has been removed from the template for the standard
table
to allow more room for the other columns.
The phase column should have only two values: for the first and last date in the range.
If the phase reaches an extrema between those dates, put an asterisk before the first value.
For example,
*7.2,13.7.
Use semicolons to separate names in the references section. For example:
Smith, J.J.; Jones, A.A. (2019).
This also applies if using several references to the same author in the text. For example:
"This asteroid was observed at three previous apparitions (Jones, 2015; 2017; 2018)..."
Issues for the upcoming quarter-year are released on about the 21st of March, June, September, and December.
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This document sets out how the International Occultation Timing Association handles a range of issues associated with the observations of occultations by minor planets. Sometimes people not involved with occultation observing suggest that an ‘interesting’ or ‘unusual’ occultation result was not the result of an occultation by an asteroid; rather it is suggested that a terrestrial cause is involved – such as a bird, airplane, balloon or artificial satellite. The implausibility of these suggested causes is discussed in detail
Call for Observations of 1256 Normannia: Phase Curve Measurement For a Possible Spacecraft Flyby
Pages 227 Binzel, Richard P.
Asteroid 1256 Normannia resides near the Hilda region of the outer asteroid belt. It reaches a nearly 0-degree phase angle on 2026 November 27 UT. Phase curve measurements are of particular interest for this asteroid as it has been identified as a reachable flyby target by the NASA Lucy spacecraft late in the next decade. Phase curve opposition data would provide useful input if such an encounter were to be formally considered.
Rotation Periods of Nineteen Hungaria-Family Asteroids from TESS Full-frame Images
Pages 228-232 Landi, Simonluca
Photometry from TESS full-frame images yields rotation periods for nineteen Hungaria-family asteroids (H = 14.8 - 16.0, estimated diameters 1.4 - 2.5 km), fourteen of them first determinations. Ten periods, from 2.29 to 56.54 h, are secured by detection in two or more sectors; nine more are single-sector candidates. Fifteen lightcurves exceed 0.4 mag amplitude and are fitted with doublepeaked solutions, independently confirmed for four objects with recent survey periods. No object shows evidence of non-principal-axis rotation.
Lightcurve Analysis for Ten Near-Earth Asteroids Observed in 2011 and from April to June 2026
Pages 233-240 Birtwhistle, Peter
Lightcurves and amplitudes for ten near-Earth asteroids observed from Great Shefford Observatory during close approaches in 2011 and from April to June 2026 are reported. All are small objects and nine have rotation periods significantly shorter than the spin barrier at ~2.2 h. Four are identified as having tumbling rotation.
Collaborative Asteroid Photometry from UAI: 2026 April-June
Photometric observations of six asteroids were collected to contribute to their physical characterization. Lightcurves were acquired for 276 Adelheid, 660 Crescentia, 1629 Pecker, 1684 Iguassu, 3909 Gladys, and (152637) 1997 NC1.
Lightcurves and Rotation Periods of Four Main-Belt Asteroids and One Near-Earth Asteroid
Pages 245-248 Brincat, Stephen M.; Bucek, Marek; Rivard, Normand; Mifsud, Martin; Michaud, Michel
CCD photometric observations of four main-belt asteroids (2711 Aleksandrov, 4493 Naitomitsu, 5552 Studnièka, and (19261) 1995 MB) and the near-Earth asteroid (424482) 2008 DG5 were obtained during their 2024-2025 apparitions. Synodic rotation periods and light curve amplitudes were derived from differential photometry and Fourier analysis. The results confirm previously published rotational solutions for four targets, while the 48.343 ± 0.008 h period obtained for 2711 Aleksandrov appears to be the first published determination of its rotation period.
Asteroid Photometry for Thirteen Main-belt Asteroids and One Apollo Object
Study, Analysis and Review of Nine Main-belt Asteroids
Pages 262-265 Farfán, Rafael González; Lorenz, Esteban Reina; Albá, Carlos Botana; Fernández, Javier Ruiz; Martínez, Fernando Limón; De Elías Cantalapiedra, Javier; Fernández Andújar, José María; Ruiz, Javier Polancos; Oliver, Joan Ribot
We present here rotation period study results carried out by our team (GOAS) for nine main-belt asteroids: 326 Tamara (14.461 h), 735 Marghanna (20.629 h), 1301 Yvonne (7.323 h), 1901 Moravia (19.450 h), 2538 Vanderlinden (27.791 h), 3495 Colchagua (5.483 h), 3793 Leonteus (5.618 h), 4159 Freeman (4.403 h) and 8271 Imai (3.217 h).
Rotation Periods of 78 Diana, 717 Wisibada, 1397 Umtata, and 4460 Bihoro: A Case Study of Long-Period Asteroid Measurement Limitations %A Cheung, Yuen-Tai
Pages 266-268 Cheung, Yuen-Tai
Rotation period measurements are presented for four main-belt asteroids using archival data from the ALCDEF database. These include the first rotation period measurement for 4460 Bihoro, and report non-detections for two long-period targets whose LCDB quality codes are updated accordingly. We apply the Fourier Analysis of Light Curves (FALC) method of Harris et al. (1989), which simultaneously fits session zero-point offsets and a Fourier series model, avoiding signal loss from persession normalization. We obtain reliable periods for 78 Diana (7.2936 +/- 0.0021 h) and 4460 Bihoro (9.83 +/- 0.15 h), while 717 Wisibada and 1397 Umtata yield no reliable period due to insufficient per-session phase coverage. Simulations show that per-session coverage below ~25% produces broad chi-squared minima and ambiguous period solutions.
Lightcurve and Rotation Period of Binary Asteroid (1727) Mette
Pages 269-270 Nath, Arushi
Photometric observations of the inner main-belt binary Hungaria asteroid (1727) Mette were obtained on eleven nights in March and April 2026. Analysis of R-band lightcurves yields a synodic rotation period of 2.9810 ± 0.0004 h with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.26 mag, implying an estimated minimum equatorial axis ratio of a/b > 1.27. After removal of the primary rotational lightcurve, residuals were examined for mutual events attributable to the known satellite. No mutual event signals were identified above the noise floor; a phase-angle-bisector longitude near 206°, roughly 90° from both prior detection epochs, indicates a more nearly pole-on aspect during the present apparition, which would suppress mutual-event signatures.
Lightcurve Analysis and Rotation Period for 6917 Assateague
We present the lightcurve for the main-belt asteroid 6917 Assateague. The lightcurve was calculated using 8 nights of observations and yielded a synodic rotation period of 357.2 ± 1.8 h with a lightcurve amplitude of 1.08 mag. A search of the Asteroid Lightcurve Database (Warner et al, 2009) did not find any previously reported rotation periods for 6917 Assateague.
Lightcurve Analysis and Rotation Period for 12344 Maryland
Two sets of photometric observations of the asteroid 12344 Maryland on were obtained on 2026 April 7 and 10 and using MPO Canopus software we plotted the lightcurve of 12344 Maryland and measured its rotation period to be about 2.0589 ± 0.0091 h.
Lightcurve Analysis and Rotation Period for 2278 Götz
Photometric observations of two main-belt asteroids were conducted to verify or determine their synodic rotation periods. For 1095 Tulipa, we found P = 2.787 ± 0.001 h with A = 0.21 ± 0.02 mag while for 1344 Caubeta, we found P = 3.123 ± 0.001 h with A = 0.13 ± 0.02 mag.
Lightcurve Analysis and Rotation Period for 8106 Carpino
This paper provides a lightcurve and rotation period for the asteroid 8106 Carpino. The lightcurve was constructed over three nights on 2026 Apr 9, 15, and 18. From the observations, the period of the asteroid was found to be 12.5337 ± 0.0560 h with an amplitude of 0.22 mag.
Lightcurve and Rotation Period of (3409) Abramov
Pages 277-278 Nath, Arushi
Photometric observations of the Koronis-family outer main-belt asteroid (3409) Abramov were obtained on four nights in September 2025. Analysis of R-band lightcurves yields a synodic rotation period of 8.505 ± 0.001 h with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.49 mag, implying a moderately elongated shape with a minimum equatorial axis ratio of a/b > 1.57.
Lightcurve and Rotation Period of 62701 Davidrankin
Pages 278 Bamberger, Daniel P.; Schnabel, Arndt
Unfiltered CCD photometric observations of 62701 Davidrankin were obtained in Rio Hurtado, Chile during April 2025. We report a most likely synodic rotation period of 7.13 ± 0.04 h and an amplitude of 0.21 ± 0.03 mag.
Lightcurves and Synodic Rotation Periods for 20 Asteroids from Sopot Astronomical Observatory: 2025 December – 2026 July
Pages 279-284 Benishek, Vladimir
Lightcurves and synodic rotation periods for 20 asteroids were determined from photometric data obtained at the Sopot Astronomical Observatory (SAO) in the time span 2025 December - 2026 July.
Lightcurve Analysis and Rotation Period of NEA 1943 Anteros
Pages 284-285 Nobre, Geovandro
Analysis of lightcurve observations of the near-Earth asteroid 1943 Anteros during its approach to Earth in 2026 yields a synodic rotation period solution of 2.87 ± 0.01 h. The resulting lightcurve shows a low peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.175 ± 0.06 mag. This period is in excellent agreement with previous studies, though the low amplitude remains a characteristic of this object at various viewing geometries.
New CCD Lightcurves of 562 Salome, 1438 Mombasa, 1629 Pecker, and 1684 Iguassu
Pages 286-289 Pilcher, Frederick
Synodic rotation periods and amplitudes are found for 562 Salome 6.3503 ± 0.0001 h, 0.19 ± 0.02 mag, with an asymmetric lightcurve; 1428 Mombasa 25.624 ± 0.002 h, 0.22 ± 0.02 mag; and 1684 Iguassu 9.1438 ± 0.0002 h, 0.18 ± 0.02 mag. For 1629 Pecker the period found by this investigation is indeterminate; it may be either 4.108 ± 0.002 h or 8.216 ± 0.002 h, with amplitude 0.08 ± 0.01 mag.
Index to Volume 53
Pages 289-292 Valdés Sada, Pedro A.
Index listing for Volume 53 (2026) of The Minor Planet Bulletin
In This Issue
Pages 292 Warner, Brian D.
This list gives those asteroids in this issue for which physical observations (excluding astrometric only) were made. This includes lightcurves, color index, and H-G determinations, etc. In some cases, no specific results are reported due to a lack of or poor quality data. The page number is for the first page of the paper mentioning the asteroid. EP is the "go to page" value in the electronic version.
