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.
Annual voluntary contributions of $5.00 or more in support of the publication are welcome.
Please send a check, drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. funds, to "Minor Planet Bulletin" and send it to:
Minor Planet Bulletin
c/o Melissa Hayes-Gehrke
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College Park, MD 20742
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).
Those using Word 97 (DOC/DOT) are encouraged to download
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the most recent Word format (DOCX). Please read this updated guide since there are a number of changes from previous guides.
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.
Full issues and individual papers from vol 1 (1973) to present are available via links on this page.
Important: If the ADS bibcode and "Download PDF" links are missing for the latest issue, it is because the ADS has
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The "Download Full Issue" link does retrieve the correct file.
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.
The Lightcurve Database (LCDB) is a valuable resource to the Minor Planet Community. The position of Lightcurve Database Manager is soon to be open. Volunteers for this position are encouraged to make known their interest and willingness to serve, so that the LCDB may continue to grow as a resource supporting new science on into the future. A summary description of the duties and requirements follow.
Revised Synodic Rotation Period for Asteroid 2243 Lonnrot
Photometric observations of the asteroid 2243 Lonnrot were conducted in order to obtain a more accurate estimate of the synodic rotation period than the one published by the authors in 2021. During this more favorable apparition we found P = 3.681 ± 0.001 h, A = 0.10 ± 0.02 mag.
Rotation Period Determination for Asteroid (11671) 1998 BG4
Photometric observations of the inner main-belt asteroid (11671) 1998 BG4 were conducted in order to determine its synodic rotation period. We found P = 4.630 ± 0.006 h, A = 0.83 ± 0.15 mag.
The Lightcurve and Rotation Period of 128 Nemesis 2022 August Through October
A synodic rotation period of 38.922 hours and amplitude 0.09 magnitudes with a somewhat irregular lightcurve is found for 128 Nemesis at its 2022 August-October apparition.
Rotational Period Determination and Taxonomic Classification for Asteroid (1399) Teneriffa
CCD photometric observations of one main-belt asteroid was obtained in order to measure its rotation period and define their taxonomic class. These measures were performed on October 2022 using the instrumentation available at the two observatories.
4376 Shigemori: An Asteroid with an Earth Commensurate Rotation Period
Multi-site photometric observations of the asteroid 4376 Shigemori were conducted in order to discern its synodic rotation period, which presented a challenge in being very close to that of Earth. In fact, we obtained P = 23.984 ± 0.004 h with an amplitude A = 0.21 ± 0.03 mag.
Based on 65 sessions 2022 Sept. 24 - Dec. 28, we find for 603 Timandra a synodic rotation period of 330.1 ± 0.5 hours and amplitude 0.80 ± 0.05 magnitudes. There is also low-level tumbling with a possible second period of 273 hours, PAR -2. The period, amplitude, and epoch of lightcurve maximum all agree with a recent posting on the DAMIT website. Data obtained on 2022 Oct. 15 show that (B-V) = 0.80 ± 0.04 and (V-R) = 0.51 ± 0.02. At midlight, H = 12.18 ± 0.14 in the V band, G = 0.20 ± 0.17.
Rotation Period of Koronis Family Member (1497) Tampere
Pages 125-126 Slivan, Stephen M.; Brothers, Timothy C.; Colclasure, Abigail M.; Larsen, Skylar S.; McLellan-Cassivi, Claire J.; Neto, Orisvaldo S.; Noto, Maurielle I.; Redden, Maya S.; Wilkin, Francis P.; Das, Niha 2023MPBu...50..125SDownload PDF
Observations of (1497) Tampere during its 2022 apparition yield a determination of its synodic rotation period 3.30237 ± 0.00015 h assuming a doubly-periodic lightcurve.
We report photometric analysis of two near-Earth asteroids observed during close approaches in 2022 October. For 2022 TG1 we found P = 0.1951 ± 0.0001 h, A = 0.46 mag; and for 2022 UR4 P = 0.0282 ± 0.0001 h, A = 1.08 mag.
Photometry and Lightcurve Analysis for Near-Earth Asteroids 65803 Didymos, (86829) 2000 GR146 and 161989 Cacus
We present lightcurves for 65803 Didymos, (86829) 2000 GR146, and 161989 Cacus. These observations were conducted in 2022 September, prior to the NASA DART impact. Lightcurve analysis for 65803 Didymos is in excellent agreement with prior results, while data for the other two asteroids comes close to matching prior published rotational periods, but does not strictly overlap. A larger number of data points on nights with good seeing would be required for better solutions.
Observers who have made visual, photographic, or CCD measurements of positions of minor planets in calendar year 2022 are encouraged to report them to this author on or before 2023 April 15. This will be the deadline for receipt of reports, for which results can be included in the “General Report of Position Observations for 2022,” to be published in MPB Vol. 50, No. 3.
Lightcurve Analysis for Fourteen Near-Earth Asteroids Observed 2003 - 2022
Lightcurves and amplitudes for 14 small near-Earth asteroids observed from Great Shefford Observatory during close approaches between 2003 and 2022 are reported. All are superfast rotators with periods shorter than the 2.2 h spin barrier, 8 with periods shorter than 3 minutes and include 6 with reliably detected or suspected tumbling motion.
Lightcurves and Synodic Rotation Periods for 17 Asteroids from Sopot Astronomical Observatory: 2022 June – 2023 January
This summary report presents the lightcurve and synodic rotation period results derived using photometric data for 17 asteroids obtained at the Sopot Astronomical Observatory in the time span 2022 June - 2023 January.
Asteroid Photometry and Lightcurves of Twelve Asteroids – January 2023
CCD photometric observations of three main-belt asteroids and four Jovian Trojans from the L4 cloud were obtained at the Center for Solar System Studies (CS3) from 2022 October-November. Revised periods for 4060 Deipylos from previous oppositions are also reported.
Lightcurves and Rotation Periods of 57 Mnemosyne, 645 Agrippina, and 987 Wallia
CCD photometric observations of eight asteroids were made at the Center for Solar System Studies between 2022 September and November. Data analysis showed that at least three objects appeared to have more than one period. The Hungaria-space 2049 Grietje has a dominant period of 41.31 h and two secondary periods of 12.96 h and 19.91 h. Hungaria dynamic family member 5841 Stone shows a secondary period of 20.37 h, along with a well-established primary period of 2.888 h. 6901 Roybishop, another Hungaria-space asteroid, appeared to have a secondary period of 14.302 h, adding to the suspicions raised by observations made by the author in 2008.
Photometric observations of six main-belt asteroids were obtained from 2022 August 3 to December 31. We derived the following rotational periods: 940 Rockefellia 6.834 ± 0.006 h, 1399 Teneriffa 2.829 ± 0.001 h, 1543 Bourgeois 41.163 ± 0.016 h, 5076 Lebedev- Kumach 3.341 ± 0.003 h, 6025 Naotosato 27.016 ± 0.009 h, and (20602) 1999 RC198 7.304 ± 0.005 h.
Collaborative Asteroid Photometry From Uai: 2022 October-December
Photometric observations of eight asteroids were made in order to acquire lightcurves for shape/spin axis modeling. The synodic period and lightcurve amplitude were found for 58 Concordia, 397 Vienna, 929 Algunde, 1589 Fanatica, 1660 Wood, 1756 Giacobini, (85713) 1998 SS49, 2015 RN35. We also found color indices for 58 Concordia and 397 Vienna.
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.
