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.
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We analyzed data of asteroid 665 Sabine captured in 2020 at Pine Mountain Observatory (PMO) and 2020 and 2021 at Nishi Harima Astronomical Observatory (NHAO). We find an amplitude of 0.30 ± 0.01 magnitudes and a period consistent with 4.294 ± 0.001 hours.
Lightcurves and Rotation Periods for (259) Aletheia, (1146) Biarmia and (1714) Sy
Pages 3-6 Brothers, Timothy C.; Coleman, McKenzie; Cranor, Nina; Sconce, Victoria; Slivan, Stephen M.; Panebianco, Katherine; Oberg, Layna; Fass, Erez; Chen, Alex; Stoltz, Aiden; Burdanov, Artem; Ekelmann, Jayna; Person
During 2025 summer research program at MIT Wallace Observatory, we conducted an observation campaign focused on main-belt asteroids, (259) Aletheia, (1146) Biarmia, (5386) Bajaja and (1714) Sy, all of which had favorable apparitions during this effort.
Spin Properties of Slow Rotator (1714) Sy Determined from Sky Survey Photometry
Pages 7-10 Slivan, Stephen M.; Brothers, Timothy C.
Lightcurves of (1714) Sy assembled from archival sky survey data are analyzed for synodic and sidereal rotation periods, spin vector orientation, and a preliminary convex model shape.
We report rotation lightcurves of 2025 OW observed during its apparition in 2025. We have analyzed our data to calculate the synodic period with the MPO Canopus software. Our conclusion with the available data is that the synodic rotation period is 0.02696 h.
Lightcurve and Rotation Period Analysis of 6690 Messick
Pages 11-12 Hawley, Wayne; Armstrong, James D.
Photometric observations of asteroid 6690 Messick were obtained during 2025 August. For 6690 Messick, we found P = 2.995 ± 0.001 h, A = 0.227 ± 0.15 magnitudes.
Lightcurve Analysis of 5066 Garradd
Pages 12-13 Le, Kelly; Hayes-Gehrke, Melissa; Warner, Elizabeth
Lightcurve measurements for the asteroid 5066 Garrard were analyzed using MPO Canopus. The analysis of the measurements indicated the absence of a detectable lightcurve amplitude greater than ~0.1 magnitude, suggesting a somewhat spherical geometry, or a near pole-on aspect, or a long period.
Lightcurve and Rotation Period of (2977) Chivilikhin
Pages 14 Nath, Arushi
Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid (2977) Chivilikhin obtained in August 2025 over five nights yielded a synodic rotation period of 6.257 ± 0.001 h with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.98 mag. These results agree with the 2016 apparition (6.2574 ± 0.0007 h; amplitude 1.00 mag), confirming the stability of the rotation period across multiple apparitions.
Lightcurves and Derived Results for Koronis Family Member (1913) Sekanina
Pages 15-19 Slivan, Stephen M.; Chen, Alex Y.; Coleman, McKenzie A.; Cranor, Nina; Ekelmann, Jayna R.; Fass, Erez R.; Oberg, Layna J.; Panebianco, Katherine M.; Sconce, Victoria B.; Stoltz, Aiden O.
Lightcurves of (1913) Sekanina recorded during three apparitions are presented with an independent determination of the synodic rotation period, which is used to constrain a reanalysis of data from a prior apparition for a final result of 14.0311 ± 0.0007 h. A comprehensive analysis of data from six apparitions is then presented to determine the sidereal rotation period, spin vector orientation, and a preliminary model shape.
Lightcurve and Rotation Period of the Near-Earth Asteroid 2025 QB21
Pages 20 Duin, Heiko
Photometric observations of the near-Earth asteroid 2025 QB21 were conducted to determine its synodic rotation period. It was found that P=0.1695±0.0003 hours with A=1.677±0.376 mag. The data have been submitted to the ALCDEF database (Warner et al., 2009).
Lightcurve of Near-Earth Asteroid 2025 RL2
Pages 21 Bamberger, Daniel P.; Wells, Guy
Unfiltered CMOS photometric observations of 2025 RL2 show that it is a fast rotator with a large lightcurve amplitude. The asteroid is either tumbling with a main period of 0.0725 h and an amplitude of 0.62 mag, or it has an irregular shape, resulting in a lightcurve with four peaks of different heights, with a period of 0.1452 h and amplitude 0.76 mag.
Lightcurve Analysis of NEO 2025 MY89
Pages 22-24 Birtwhistle, Peter; Armstrong, James D.; Conjat, Matthieu; Zhang, Jiashuo; Wang, Binyu; Genebriera, Joan; Odeh, Mohammad Shawkat; Hawley, Wayne
The analysis of photometric observations of the NEO 2025 MY89 obtained by a collaboration of eight people during July 2025 indicates that Apollo 2025 MY89 has a low amplitude lightcurve with a likely synodic period of 2.623 ± 0.005 h.
Lightcurve Analysis of NEO 2025 RL2
Pages 25-26 Birtwhistle, Peter; Koukal, Jakub
The newly discovered Aten-type NEO 2025 RL2 had a very favourable close-approach to Earth in September 2025 and photometry obtained from two observatories show that this small asteroid has tumbling rotation with periods of 4.4 and 18.6 minutes.
Photometric Analysis of 5806 Archieroy And (49667) 1999 OM2: Rotation Periods And Preliminary Spin-Shape Models
Archieroy and (49667) 1999 OM2 conducted at the Observatorio Astronomico do Sertao de Itaparica (OASI) during 2025 enabled the determination of rotation periods of 12.16 ± 0.01 hours and 3.480 ± 0.001 hours, respectively. Combining these new observations with archival lightcurve data from the Asteroid Lightcurve Database allowed for preliminary spin-shape modeling with resulting spin axis orientations of (l,b) = (216.0°, 65.°) and (34.9°, -64.0°).
Pages 32-34 Marchini, Alessandro; Papini, Alessandro; Franco, Lorenzo
Photometric observations of three main-belt asteroids were conducted to verify or determine their synodic rotation periods. For 1967 Menzel, we found P = 2.835 ± 0.001 h with A = 0.25 ± 0.01 mag. For 2949 Kaverznev, a very slow rotator, we present an attempt at a bimodal solution of P = 84.1 ± 0.2 h with A = 1.4 ± 0.1 mag. For 3024 Hainan, we found P = 11.743 ± 0.001 h with A = 0.10 ± 0.02 mag.
Lightcurves and Rotation Periods of Four Main-Belt Asteroids
Pages 35-36 Bell, Caitlin; Bradicich, Zelie-Louise; Montgomery, Kent
Aperture photometry was performed on the following asteroids in order to determine their rotational periods: 2778 Tangshan, 3.464 ± 0.002 h; 10022 Zubov, 4.532 ± 0.004 h; (13007) 1984 AU, 12.187 ± 0.001 h; and (31361) 1998 VQ29, 3.223 ± 0.001 h.
Photometric Observations and Lightcurve Analysis of Five Main-Belt Asteroids from Six Observatories
Pages 37-39 Brincat, Stephen M.; Bucek, Marek; Galdies, Charles; Zammit, Vincent; Rivard, Normand; Mifsud, Martin
We present photometric observations of five main-belt asteroids - 1155 Aenna, 1591 Baize, 3066 McFadden, 4016 Sambre, and 11875 Rhone - from six observatories in Malta, Slovakia, and Canada. Synodic rotation periods were determined as 7.9154 h, 7.7956 h, 32.8369 h, 18.235 h, and 5.2100 h, respectively. For 4016 Sambre and 11875 Rhone, these represent the first published lightcurve periods, while the remaining results confirm and refine previous measurements.
Rotation Periods and Lightcurve Amplitudes for Eleven Main-Belt and One Mars-Crossing Asteroid
We present lightcurves and synodic rotation periods for ten asteroids observed from March 2025 through October 2025 at Dimension Point Observatory.
Lightcurve Analysis for Nine Near-Earth Asteroids Observed Between July and September 2025
Pages 52-58 Birtwhistle, Peter
Lightcurves and amplitudes for nine near-Earth asteroids observed from Great Shefford Observatory during close approaches between July and September 2025 are reported. All are small objects with rotation periods shorter than the spin barrier at ~2.2 h. Three are identified as having tumbling rotation.
Lightcurve Analysis for Twelve Main-Belt Asteroids
Results of Observations and Lightcurves for Six Asteroids
Pages 63-65 Farfán, Rafael González; García de la Cuesta, Faustino; Fernández, Javier Ruiz; Martínez, Fernando Limón; Albá, Carlos Botana; Lorenz, Esteban Reina; De Elías Cantalapiedra, Javier
We present results for six asteroids observed between May and August 2025: 762 Pulcova (5.837 h), 1818 Brahms (5.356 h), 1856 Ruzena (5.957 h), 3957 Sugie (9.731 h), 4117 Wilke (3.021 h) and 6015 Paularego (3.009 h).
Rotational Periods and Lightcurves of Seven Asteroids
Pages 66-69 Kunigus, Sierra; Montgomery, Kent;
Rotational lightcurve period results were determined for seven main-belt asteroids through aperture photometry conducted with 1-meter class telescopes. 1276 Ucclia: 4.8878 ± 0.0018 h, 1688 Wilkens: 7.246 ± 0.001 h, 5132 Maynard: 3.609 ± 0.001 h, 5656 Oldfield: 4.778 ± 0.001 h, 6377 Cagney: 4.185 ± 0.001 h, (7930) 1989 VD: 4.887 ± 0.001 h, and (17006) 1999 CH63 4.040 ± 0.008 h.
Collaborative Asteroid Photometry from UAI: 2025 July - September
Photometric observations of four asteroids were made in order to acquire lightcurves for shape/spin axis modeling. Lightcurves were acquired for 2408 Astapovich, 3578 Carestia, (19261) 1995 MB, and (35107) 1991 VH.
Lightcurves and Rotation Periods of 1858 Lobachevskij and 6394 1990 QM2
Pages 72-73 Pilcher, Frederick
Synodic rotation periods and amplitudes are found for 1858 Lobachevskij 5.4121 ± 0.0002 hours, 0.30 ± 0.02 magnitudes; and (6394) 1990 QM2 3.6867 ± 0.0001 hours, 0.28 ± 0.03 magnitudes.
Photometric Observations of the Martian Trojan Asteroid (311999) 2007 NS2
Pages 73-74 Borisov, Galin; Christou, Apostolos A.
We present R filter photometry of the Martian Trojan asteroid (311999) 2007 NS2, carried out with the twochannel Focal Reducer Rozhen (FoReRo2) at the 2-m Ritchey-Chrétien-Coude (2mRCC) telescope of the Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory (BNAO) Rozhen for 3 nights in August 2024. The lightcurve analysis suggests a rotation period of P=6.864±0.067 h with an amplitude A=0.14 mag.
Asteroid Photometry from the Dunwurkin Observatory
Pages 75-79 Clark, Maurice
Asteroid period and amplitude results obtained at the Dunwurkin Observatory in Koorda Western Australia during January 2024 and June 2025 are presented.
Asteroid Diameters from the Gaia DR3 Reflectance Spectra
Pages 79-82 Franco, Lorenzo
We present a study on indirectly deriving the diameters of the asteroids previously subject to the taxonomic classification from the ESA Gaia DR3 reflectance spectra by the same author. The approach was to use data from the AKARI IRC all-sky survey, combined with the SMASSII taxonomy, to determine the mean albedo distribution for each spectral class. Absolute magnitude H values derived from the JPL Small-Body Database were also used and appropriately corrected to eliminate a systematic trend. Finally, the diameters of 14926 mainbelt asteroids were derived.
Editor’s Note: Saluting Brian Warner and Observing Opportunities
Pages 82 Binzel, Richard P.
Recognition of Contributions by Brian D. Warner
Lightcurve Photometry Opportunities: Resources for Observers
Pages 83-90 Warner, Brian D.; Harris, Alan W.; Durech, Josef;
Benner, Lance A.M.
In light of changing circumstances, opportunities, and observer capabilities, we forgo lists of selected objects. Instead, we refer to some on-line resources that allow observers to select objects that fit their objectives. In part, this helps reduce some biases that favored the easier, brighter targets.
In This Issue
Pages 91 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.
