Minor Planet Bulletin

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
UMD Astronomy Department
1113 PSC Bldg 415
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 OpenOffice and convert their files to 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 Bulletin 51-2.
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)..."

Cumulative Index to Volumes 1-45
Cumulative Asteroid Lightcurve Index (Volumes 1 through 51-2)

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Published between

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 not processed the files. The links will be made available after the ADS processes the files.
If the "Download PDF" link is visible and there is no PDF available, clicking the link will download an arbitrary page. We are working with ADS to make sure all papers are available and, if not, being able to diasable the link. 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.

Volume 51 (2024)

Volume 50 (2023)

Volume 49 (2022)

Volume 48 (2021)

Volume 47 (2020)

Volume 46 (2019)

Volume 45 (2018)

Volume 44 (2017)

Volume 43 (2016)

Volume 42 (2015)

Volume 41 (2014)

Volume 40 (2013)

Volume 39 (2012)

Volume 38 (2011)

Volume 37 (2010)

Volume 36 (2009)

Volume 35 (2008)

Volume 34 (2007)

Volume 33 (2006)

Volume 32 (2005)

Volume 31 (2004)

Volume 30 (2003)

Volume 29 (2002)

Volume 28 (2001)

Volume 27 (2000)

Volume 26 (1999)

Volume 25 (1998)

Volume 24 (1997)

Volume 23 (1996)

Volume 22 (1995)

Volume 21 (1994)

Volume 20 (1993)

Volume 19 (1992)

Volume 18 (1991)

Volume 17 (1990)

Volume 16 (1989)

Volume 15 (1988)

Volume 14 (1987)

Volume 13 (1986)

Volume 12 (1985)

Volume 11 (1984)

Volume 10 (1983)

Volume 9 (1982)

Volume 8 (1981)

Volume 7 (1980)

Volumes 6-7 (1979)

Volumes 5-6 (1978)

Volumes 4-5 (1977)
    5-2 (Oct-Dec) pp 15-20
    5-1 (Jul-Sep) pp 1-14
    4-4 (Apr-Jun) pp 33-41
    4-3 (Jan-Mar) pp 17-32

Volumes 3-4 (1976)

Volumes 2-3 (1975)

Volumes 1-2 (1974)

Volume 1 (1973)

Issue 5-2 (1977 Oct-Dec)
Download Full Issue

Show abstracts

Minor Planet Rotation Report, June-December 1976
Pages 15-16
Porter, Alain C.; Wallentine, Derek
1977MPBu....5...15P Download PDF

The A.L.P.O. Minor Planets Section received fewer light curves of asteroids in the latter half of 1975, a distinct disappointment in view of the better performance in 1975 and early 1975 (cf, MPB 3, 47-50).

Possible Observation of a Satellite of a Minor Planet
Pages 16-17
Dunham, David W.; Maley, Paul D.
1977MPBu....5...16D Download PDF

With all of the publicity about the rings of Uranus discovered during an occultation of a faint star by the planet during 1977 march 10, we hope that astronomers will not overlook observations of another remarkable occultation which took place five days earlier. This was the occultation of 3.6 magnitude gamma Ceti A by 6 Hebe, observed from locations in and near Mexico City (see IAU Circular 3040 and 3047). This is the first time that an occultation of a star by one of the larger minor planets has been observed from more than one station, The preliminary reports, all by visual observers, seem to be consistent with a diameter for Hebe of about 200 km, which is also the value obtained by modern radiometric and polarimetric methods.

Precise Positions of Minor Planets
Pages 17-19
Pilcher, Frederick
1977MPBu....5...17P Download PDF

Precise and semi-precise photographic and micrometric positions of minor planets by Section members are reported, along with policy for future submissions.