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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See the announcement in Minor Planet Bulletin51-2.
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The phase column should have only two values: for the first and last date in the range.
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*7.2,13.7.
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Smith, J.J.; Jones, A.A. (2019).
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"This asteroid was observed at three previous apparitions (Jones, 2015; 2017; 2018)..."
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Lightcurves of 308 Polyxo were obtained by a collaboration between Bassano Bresciano Observatory and Organ Mesa Observatory. For 308 Polyxo the period is 12.029 0.001 hours, amplitude 0.15 0.02 magnitudes with an irregular lightcurve.
Another Asteroid with a Changing Lightcurve: 232 Russia
During its early 2014 apparition the lightcurve shape and inferred synodic rotation period for 232 Russia changed considerably. The best fit to data in the entire interval 2014 Mar. 25 - May 25 is with a lightcurve with a period 21.905 0.001 hours, amplitude 0.14 0.01 magnitudes.
We present lightcurves for four inversion model candidate asteroids that will benefit from additional data at another phase angle bisector phase angle. We obtained synodic periods for each asteroid that were within 0.002 h. Most have lightcurves that differed from previously published lightcurves in both amplitude and shape.
This is the first comprehensive photometric investigation ever made of 299 Thora. We find a synodic rotation period 273.6 0.2 hours, amplitude 0.39 magnitudes. Inaccuracies in calibration star magnitudes and possible changes in the shape of the lightcurve through the two months of observation prevent finding any possible tumbling behavior.
Trojan Asteroids Observed from CS3: 2014 January-May
Lightcurves for 38 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) were obtained at the Center for Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station (CS3-PDS) from 2014 March through June.
Lightcurve Analysis of the NEA Binary Asteroid 5381 Sekhmet
Radar observations in 2003 (Nolan et al., 2003) showed that the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 5381 Sekhmet was a binary. CCD photometry observations made from the Center for Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station (CS3-PDS) during the 2014 apparition confirmed the discovery and found the first precise values for the primary rotation period, P1 = 2.8233 0.0001 h, and the orbital period of the satellite, P_ORB = 12.379 0.004 h. The estimated effective size ratio of the two bodies is Ds/Dp = 0.25 0.02, which is in good agreement with the sizes estimated by radar.
CCD photometry observations of 92 Undina in 2014 April found a synodic rotation period of 15.933 0.002 h and lightcurve amplitude of 0.16 0.01 mag. An attempt was made to model the spin axis and shape for the asteroid using a combination of dense lightcurves from three apparitions and sparse data from two survey programs. The results were inconclusive other than to indicate that the pole latitude is not far removed from the ecliptic plane and rotation is probably retrograde.
Rotation Period of 227 Philosophia is Re-evaluated
We previously published a rotation period of 52.98 hours for 227 Philosophia (Pilcher and Alkema, 2014, Minor Planet Bulletin 41, 188). By adjusting instrumental magnitudes of the observations reported there by 0.03 or less, we obtain equally good fits to 26.476 hours with a monomodal lightcurve and 52.955 hours with a bimodal lightcurve, amplitude 0.12 magnitudes. We prefer the shorter period because the two sides of the longer period lightcurve are nearly identical.
Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at CS3-Palmer Divide Station: 2014 March-June
Lightcurves for 19 main-belt asteroids were obtained at the Center for Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station (CS3-PDS) from 2014 March through June. Some of the objects were members of the Hungaria group/family, observed as follow-up to previous apparitions to check for the possibility of undiscovered satellites or to provide additional data for spin axis and shape modeling.
Photometric observations of three main-belt asteroid were made over seven nights during 2014 April-June: 1658 Innes, (10597) 1996 TR10, and 30017 Shaundatta.
A Comprehensive Photometric Investigation of 185 Eunike
Pages 244-250 Pilcher, Frederick; Behrend, Raoul; Bernasconi, Laurent; Franco, Lorenzo; Hills, Kevin; Martin, Axel; Ruthroff, John C. 2014MPBu...41..244PDownload PDF
We have reevaluated our previous photometric data sets of 185 Eunike for oppositions in the years 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively, and have obtained new observations in 2014 Jan. - May. For each of these four years we draw period spectra which show deep minima only near 21.8 hours and the double period near 43.6 hours, and plot lightcurves phased to near 21.8 and 43.6 hours, respectively. For observation sets in each of the four years we find the available parts of the lightcurves phased to 43.6 hours and separated by 1/2 cycle to be identical within errors of observations, and conclude that the double period is ruled out. For the new observations in the year 2014 we find best fit to a lightcurve phased to 21.812 0.001 hours with amplitude 0.08 0.01 magnitudes. The absolute magnitude and the opposition parameter are H = 7.45 0.01, G = 0.11 0.02. The V-R color index was determined to be 0.36 0.03. Both the color index and G value are compatible with a low albedo asteroid. The diameter is estimated to be D = 175 33 km. The lightcurve inversion analysis shows a preliminary sidereal period/pole solution at Ps = 21.80634 0.00012 h and (136, 4), (314, -18), with an error estimation of 30 degrees.
Rotation Period Determiniations for 24 Themis, 65 Cybele, 108 Hecuba, 530 Turandot, and 749 Malzovia
CCD photometric observations were made of five mainbelt asteroids: 24 Themis, 65 Cybele, 108 Hecuba, 530 Turnadot, and 749 Malzovia. These were used to determine the synodic rotation period of the asteroids and their lightcurve amplitudes. In the cases of 108 Hecuba and 530 Turnadot, the results were able to exclude some periods previously reported by other authors.
Rotation Periods and R Magnitudes of Three Koronis Family Members
We report synodic rotation periods for three Koronis family asteroids: 1443 Ruppina, 5.880 0.001 h; 1848 Delvaux, 3.639 0.001 h; and 2144 Marietta, 5.489 0.001 h.
Period Determination for 398 Admete: the Lowest Numbered Asteroid with no Previously Known Period
Lightcurve analysis for 398 Admete was performed using observations during its 2014 opposition. The synodic rotation period was found to be 11.208 0.001 h and the lightcurve amplitude was 0.13 0.02 mag.
Photometric observations of main-belt asteroid 12282 Crombecq were made over four nights in 2014 June. Lightcurve analysis shows a synodic period of 3.426 0.001 h with an amplitude of 0.21 0.04 mag.
CCD photometric observations of main-belt minor planet 772 Tanete were made during its favorable opposition from 2014 April-June. Analysis of the data found a synodic period of 17.258 0.001 h.
Rotation Periods and Lightcurves for Six Near-Earth Asteroids
Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 3345 Tarkovskij conducted by the authors over more than three months from 2013 December to 2014 March revealed its slow rotation rate and a synodic rotation period of 187.0 0.1 hours. The corresponding bimodal lightcurve has an amplitude of 0.59 0.02 magnitudes.
Analysis of photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 671 Carnegia from 2014 January-March revealed a bimodal lightcurve with a period of 8.332 0.001 hours as the most likely solution. However, a trimodal solution of 12.50 hours still could not be formally ruled out.
Rotation Period Determination for the Main-belt Asteroid 1517 Beograd
New photometric data on the main-belt asteroid 1517 Beograd were obtained during the period 2014 March-May, covering a relatively wide range of phase angles. Analysis of the data indicates a synodic rotation period solution of 6.9490 0.0006 h.
Asteroids Lightcurves at OAVdA: 2013 December - 2014 June
Asteroids to be observed by the Target Asteroids! program during the period of October to December 2014 are presented. In addition to asteroids on the original Target Asteroids! list of easily accessible spacecraft targets, an effort has been made to identify other asteroids that are 1) brighter and easier to observe for small telescope users and 2) analogous to (101955) Bennu, the target asteroid of the OSIRIS-REx sample return mission.
Lightcurve Analysis for Three Asteroids: 4000 Hipparchus, 5256 Farquhar, and 5931 Zhvanetskij
Pages 274-275 Odden, Caroline E.; Bond, J. Brooke; Aggarwal, Ashok K.; Seokjun, Yoon; Chapman, Kathryn J.; Fortin, Liam G.; He, David B.; Hurley, Cooper D.; Joli-Coeur, Laurent; Little, John; Neumann, A. Miles; Ortega, Marelene; Park, Ji Tae; Simard-Halm, Malina; Simon, Matthew I.; Taylor, Isabel O.; Zhu, Emily C. 2014MPBu...41..274ODownload PDF
Lightcurves for asteroids 4000 Hipparchus, 5256 Farquhar, and 5931 Zhvanetskij were obtained at the Phillips Academy Observatory (PAO) and HUT Observatory between 2013 October and 2014 March.
Lightcurve Analysis of Asteroids from Blue Mountains Observatory in 2013
Analysis of CCD photometric observations made in 2013 from Kingsgrove Observatory and Blue Mountains Observatory found the synodic rotation period for 30 asteroids.
Sidereal Photometric Astrometry as Efficient Initial Search for Spin Vector
I describe how to use the Sidereal Photometric Astrometry method of spin vector determination (Drummond et al., 1988) to identify the specific plausible candidate combinations of sidereal periods and pole solution regions that are consistent with a lightcurve epoch data set, to use as initial inputs to the convex inversion method of shape determination (Kaasalainen et al., 2001).
New Photometric Observations of the Binary Near-Earth Asteroid (137170) 1999 HF1
Photometric observations of the binary near-Earth asteroid 1999 HF1 were made during 6 nights in the interval 2014 May 21 to June 18 using the Cassegrain telescope at the Bucharest Astronomical Institute (UAI code: 073). These observations confirm that the asteroids lightcurve has two components. The short period variation was estimated to P = 2.5662 0.0034 h, close to the value 2.3191 hours found in the literature.
Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Asteroid Photometric Survey (NEAPS) - 2009 January through 2009 June
Pages 286-300 Koehn, Bruce W.; Bowell, Edward G.; Skiff, Brian A.; Sanborn, Jason J.; McLelland, Kyle P.; Pravec, Petr; Warner, Brian D. 2014MPBu...41..286KDownload PDF
We report the results of the Lowell Observatory Near- Earth Asteroid Photometric Survey (NEAPS) for the period between 2009-01-01 and 2009-06-30. During this period, we obtained our first photometric data for 40 asteroids including 433 Eros, 1943 Anteros, 3554 Amun, 5011 Ptah, (5604) 1992 FE, 5620 Jasonwheeler, (5693) 1993 EA, (8566) 1996 EN, (14402) 1991 DB, (16834) 1997 WU22, (22753) 1998 WT, (35107) 1991 VH, (52768) 1998 OR2, (68350) 2001 MK3, (85867) 1999 BY9, (138883) 2000 YL29, (141052) 2001 XR1, (143651) 2003 QO104, (154244) 2002 KL6, 161989 Cacus, (162385) 2000 BM19, (163758) 2003 OS13, (175706) 1996 FG3, (194386) 2001 VG5, (203217) 2001 FX9, (207945) 1991 JW, (208023) 1999 AQ10, (212546) 2006 SV19, (256412) 2007 BT2, 2001 FE90, 2004 LV3, 2005 BC, 2005 SG19, 2008 QT3, 2008 WL60, 2009 DE47, 2009 DO111, 2009 EP2, 2009 FD, and 2009 JM2. We also report our analysis of 5261 Eureka, a Mars Trojan.
Pages 301-304 Warner, Brian D.; Harris, Alan W.; Pravec, Petr; Durech, Josef; Benner, Lance A.M. 2014MPBu...41..301WDownload PDF
We present lists of asteroid photometry opportunities for objects reaching a favorable apparition and having either none or poorly-defined lightcurve parameters. Additional data on these objects will help with shape and spin axis modeling via lightcurve inversion. We also include lists of objects that will be the target of radar observations. Lightcurves for these objects can help constrain pole solutions and/or remove rotation period ambiguities that might not come from using radar data alone.
