The Minor Planet Bulletin BULLETIN OF THE MINOR PLANETS SECTION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF LUNAR AND PLANETARY OBSERVERS
Click on image to zoom
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 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
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.
Asteroid 1135 Colchis was observed from Santana Observatory (MPC Code 646) and Roach Motel Observatory (MPC Code 856). The rotational period was determined to be 23.47 ± 0.01 hours with an amplitude of 0.63 ± 0.09 magnitude.
We describe a system that autonomously generates a lightcurve for one or more desired minor planets. Specifically, the automated process was started with the press of a button, it ran during the night, and the next morning the computer screen displayed the lightcurves for two simultaneously observed minor planets: 631 Philippina and 246 Asporina. Their lightcurves are consistent with their previously known periods.
Rotational Periods and Lightcurves of 1166 Sakuntala and 1568 Aisleen
Lightcurves of two main belt asteroids were measured at Roach Motel Observatory (Minor Planet Center code 856). 1166 Salamtala was determined to have a rotational period of 6.30 hours ± 0.02 hours and an amplitude of 0.69 ± 0.1 magnitude. 1568 Aisleen was found to have a rotational period of 6.68 hours ± 0.02 hours with an amplitude of 0.56 ± 0.05 magnitude.
As I walked up the hill, I could almost hear the voices raised in fear and anger. The shouts and the sounds of a pitched and confused battle were mingled into a single chorus of chaos. It was a swnmer day, yet the wind was blowing and there was a chill in the air. I imagined if it might have been the same as on that day years ago. At the top of the hill, I could look over the valley, see what they had seen but not all. On that July day in 1876, the field was not empty; it was fdled with the hunters and the hunted. I wondered what they might have been thinking at the time.
Overcoming the 24 hour commensurability of the Earth's rotation for mid-latitude observatories requires multiple sites widely separated in longitude. An ongoing collaborative lightcurve investigation between Thornton Observatory in the United States and Aarestar Observatory in Malta (separated in longitude by 119 degrees) reveals asteroid 490 Veritas to have a nearly commensurate period of 7.930 ± 0.005 hours. The lightcurve amplitude is 0.50 magnitude ± 0.03 magnitude
Lightcurves and Period Determination for 640 Brambilla
Minor planet 640 Brambilla was observed over a period of 16 days (46 rotations) during March and April, 2001. Ughtcurves obtained on 6 nights with an unfiltered CCD have yielded a rotational (synodic) period of 7.768 ± 0.006 brs. The complete lightcurve is doubly periodic, with a total amplitude range of 0.25 ± 0.02.
CCD photometry of 96 Aegle during its 2001 apparition reveals a lightcurve with low amplitude of about 0.1 mag. The most self-consistent composite lightcurve is formed using a rotation period of 26.53 ± 0.03 hours, but other periods remain possible. The best-fit values of Lwnme-Bowell phase coefficients to the linear part of its solar phase dependence are H = 7.54 ± 0.10 and G = -0.04 ± 0.03. A similar reduced magnitude and low amplitude at a differing aspect leads us to infer that Aegle isn't very elongated in shape.
Two of the authors independently observed the asteroid 1069 Planckia in 2000 April and May. The combined data were used to re-examine the previously published period of the asteroid It is believed that the previously stated period of 10.58h is incorrect and should be replaced by one of 8.643h ± 0.05h. The amplitude was fOUDd to be increasing during the span of the observations, increasing from 0.17 mag. in late April to 0.25 mag. in late May.
Collaborative Photometry of 489 Comacina, March through May 2001
Asteroid 489 Comacina was observed from Santana Observatory (MPC Code 646), flarestar Observatory (MPC Code 171), and Thornton Observatory (MPC Code 713). The rotational period was determined to be 9.02 ± O.Dl hours with an amplitude of 0.4 ± 0.05 magnitude.
Suggested Revised H values of Selected Asteroids-Report Number 2
We report 23 new minor planets for which visual and CCD measures indicate an average difference of magnitude from the current predicted values. Typical discrepancies are 0.3 to 0.5 mag., but are as high as 22 mag. We suggest a revision of their catalogued H magnitudes to permit better predicted magnitudes in the future ephemerides of these objects, notably by the Minor Planet Center.
Lightcurve Photometry of 611 Valeria and 986 Amelia
Through ongoing lightcurve observations at Thornton Observatory, asteroid 611 Valeria was found to have a period of 10.80 ± 0.02 hours, with an amplitude of 0.18 ± 0.04 magnitude. Asteroid 986 Amelia was determined to have a period of 9.52 hours ± 0.01 hours, with an amplitude of 0.61 ± 0.03 magnitude.
In June 2001 we attended the conference "Asteroids 2001: From Piazzi to the 3rd Millenium". The conference was really great and we also much enjoyed meeting and discussing with several asteroid photometrists there. The exchange of ideas and experiences was really fruitful. As a result, Brian Warner has started to work on creating a new association of observers and a web site that will help develop and coordinate collaborations on specific targets or groups of targets. We shall keep you informed about progress. For the meantime we suggest to asteroid photometrists to continue coordinating their observations via the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL; http://www.MinorPlanetObserver.com/astlc/default .htm).
