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.
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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)..."
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Vol 1-7 run Jul-Jun. Vol 8-present run Jan-Dec. Only papers indexed in the ADS are included.
Earlier volumes often contain more papers than listed here. It's recommended to download the
full issue in vol 1-9.
Photometric reductions from the first week of observations of 1903 Adzhimushkaj revealed that it would have a long period. Completing observations for one full rotation required a 75-night interval from November 2021 through February 2022. The phased lightcurve shows a period of 1793.8 ± 3.6 h. Recent analysis of survey images by other authors indicates that these "superslow" rotation rates are not uncommon.
A synthesis of all published rotation periods of 128 Nemesis shows that the period is ambiguous and may be either 38.91 hours or 77.81 hours. The author explains why he prefers the 38.91-hour period.
748 Simeisa – An Asteroid With An Earth-Commensurate Rotation Period Is Solved
A global collaboration of observers from Australia, Europe, and North America finds for 748 Simeisa a synodic rotation period 11.905 ± 0.001 h, amplitude 0.28 ± 0.02 magnitudes, V-R = 0.45 magnitudes, in the V band H = 9.224 ± 0.050, G = 0.316 ± 0.087.
Rotational Period Determination of 2282 Andres Bello
The asteroid 2282 Andrés Bello was observed over the course of one night using the PIRATE telescope at Teide Observatory, Las Palmas. The rotation period and lightcurve amplitude observed were P = 3.394 h and A = 0.64 mag. These values are consistent with those previously reported by D. Klinglesmith et al. (2016). The diameter and mass of 2282 Andrés Bello are found to be 7.1 km and 6×10^14 kg.
Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid (9659) 1996 EJ were conducted in order to determine its synodic rotation period. We found P = 6.527 ± 0.001 h, A = 0.09 ± 0.03 mag.
Lightcurves and amplitudes for nine small near-Earth asteroids observed from Great Shefford Observatory during close approaches between January and March 2022 are reported. Seven are superfast rotators with periods < 8 minutes and include two tumblers. Another shows indications of tumbling with likely periods > 1 h and one shows no discernable rotation.
Near-Earth Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis At The Center For Solar System Studies: 2022 February-March
Lightcurves of six near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) obtained at the Center for Solar System Studies (CS3) in 2022 February and March were analyzed for rotation period, peak-to-peak amplitude, and signs of satellites or tumbling. There are good indications that (138971) is in a low-level tumbling state.
Photometric measurements were made for 15 main-belt asteroids, based on CCD observations made from 2022 January through 2022 March. Phased lightcurves were created for 14 asteroids, while one did not yield a period solution. All the data have been submitted to the ALCDEF database.
Lightcurves and Rotation Periods of 49 Pales, 424 Gratia, 705 Erminia, 736 Harvard, 1261 Legia, 1541 Estonia, and 6371 Heinlein
We present the results of observations of the main-belt asteroids (19469) 1998 HV 45 and (51442) 2001 FZ25. Observations were carried out in 2020 September at the Maidanak Astronomical Observatory. We found a synodic period for (19469) 1998 HV 45 of P = 7.035 ± 0.002 h and for (51442) 2001 FZ25 we found P = 4.334 ± 0.001 h.
Asteroid Photometry from the Preston Gott Observatory
We report on the photometric analysis result of nine main-belt (MBA), one near-Earth (NEA), and two Potentially Hazardous (PHA) asteroids by the Asociación Valenciana de Astronomía (AVA). The work was done from the Astronomical Center Alto Turia (CAAT; MPC J57), located in Aras de los Olmos, Valencia, and operated by members of AVA (http://www.astroava.org). This database shows graphic results of the data, mainly lightcurves, with the plot phased to a given period.
Collaborative Asteroid Photometry from UAI: 2022 January-March
Photometric observations of eleven asteroids were made to acquire lightcurves for shape/spin axis modeling. The synodic period and lightcurve amplitude were found for 49 Pales, 142 Polana, 206 Hersilia, 737 Arequipa, 1071 Brita, 1120 Cannonia, 1166 Sakuntala, 1736 Floirac, 3103 Eger, 4528 Berg and (7482) 1994 PC1. We also found color indices for 49 Pales, 142 Polana, 206 Hersilia, 1071 Brita, 1120 Cannonia, 3103 Eger and 4528 Berg; along with H-G parameters for 49 Pales, 1071 Brita, and 4528 Berg.
Main-belt Asteroids Observed from CS3: 2022 January-March
Analysis of CCD photometric observations of three dynamical members of the Hungaria family and one inner main-belt asteroid were made in 2022 February and March at the Center for Solar System Studies.
Lightcurve Analysis of Hilda Asteroids at the Center For Solar System Studies: 2022 January-March
CCD photometric observations of two Hilda asteroids were made between 2022 January through March. Analysis of the data for 1746 Brouwer produced a period in good agreement with previous results. The period for (7284) 1989 VW was ambiguous with possible solutions at 26.45 and 52.93 h.
Periods Determinations for Seventeen Asteroids
Pages 229-233 Farfan, Rafael González; de la Cuesta, Faustino García; Casal, Jesús Delgado; Reina Lorenz, Esteban; Fernández, Javier Ruiz; De Elías Cantalapiedra, Javier; Nogues, Ramón Naves; Andújar, José M. Fernández; Carballo, Juan-Luis González; Mañanes, Esteban Fernández; Morales, Raúl Martínez 2022MPBu...49..229FDownload PDF
The lightcurves for seventeen asteroids were measured from later months of 2020 to April 2022: 54 Alexandra (7.026 h), 161 Athor (7.213 h), 272 Antonia (3.854 h), 281 Lucretia (4.349 h), 302 Clarissa (14.467 h), 311 Claudia (10.446 h), 441 Bathilde (10.446 h), 554 Peraga (13.721 h), 893 Leopoldina (12.597 h), 915 Cosette (4.467 h), 934 Thuringia (8.165 h), 975 Perseverantia (7.222 h), 1090 Sumida (2.712 h), 1781 Van Biesbroeck (6.385 h), 3103 Eger (5.712 h), 5256 Farquhar (11.536 h), and 6655 Nagahama (5.224 h).
General Report of Position Observations by the ALPO Minor Planet Section for the Year 2021
We present lists of asteroid photometry opportunities for objects reaching a favorable apparition and have no or poorly-defined lightcurve parameters. Additional data on these objects will help with shape and spin axis modeling using lightcurve inversion. We have changed the presentation of the “Radar-Optical Opportunities” section to include a list of potential radar targets as well as some that are in critical need of astrometric data and, if found, might also be targets for radar. These can have ephemeris errors on the order of tens to thousands of arcseconds and, despite the current surveys, have not been observed for several years. This makes them a double challenge: first to be found and, second, to determine astrometric positions and photometric properties.
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.
