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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Pages 155-157 Pilcher, Frederick; Benishek, Vladimir; Franco, Lorenzo; Harris, A. W., Klinglesmith, Daniel A. III; Hanowell, Jesse; Odden, Caroline; Amorosso, Rocco; Jhost, Thomas; Larocca, Ava; Orgul, Sarp; Xia, Julia 2015MPBu...42..155PDownload PDF
R.P. Binzel (1985) described two superposed periods for 1220 Crocus on the basis of rather sparse lightcurves: 30.7 days, amplitude 0.87 magnitudes; and 7.90 hours, amplitude 0.15 magnitudes. We have looked for this behavior again with a much denser data set. We find a period of 491.4 hours, amplitude 1.0 magnitudes; a careful search with dual period software finds no evidence of a second period at a level better than 0.1 magnitudes. A color index V-R = 0.47 0.03 is found, and H-G parameters are H = 11.76 0.07 mag, G = 0.05 0.05.
CCD photometric observations of main-belt asteroid 30 Urania were made over six nights in 2012 January. The lightcurve shows a synodic period of 13.692 0.001 h with an amplitude of 0.19 mag.
Estcorn Observatory Lightcurve Results for Asteroids 2245, 3759, 6388, 214088
Pages 158-159 Klinglesmith, Daniel A. III; DeHart, Austin; Hanowell, Jesse; Hendrickx, Sebastian 2015MPBu...42..158KDownload PDF
Four asteroids were observed at Etscorn Observatory from 2014 December to 2015 January. The results from analysis are all new determinations of synodic periods and amplitudes.
Main-belt asteroid 12753 Povenmire has been observed for several years at the Hereford Arizona Observatory. A phase coefficient of 26 2 mmag/degree is used to estimate albedo pV = 0.28 0.08, which leads to a size of 5.7 0.8 km. A rotation period of 17.5752 0.0008 hours replaces an earlier published value.
Long-Period Lightcurve for Asteroid 15552 Sandashounkan
Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 15552 Sandashounkan were made from 2014 September to December. We find the data are best fit by a period of 33.62 0.02 h, with an amplitude of 1.44 mag., although further observations are necessary before this result may be considered secure.
Asteroid Photometry from the Preston Gott Observatory
Lightcurves for 13 main-belt asteroids were obtained at the Center for Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station (CS3-PDS) from 2014 December through 2015 March. All but two were members of the Hungaria orbital group or collisional family and observed as follow-up to previous apparitions to check for undiscovered satellites or to obtain data for spin axis and shape modeling.
CCD photometric observations of Amor-type asteroid (361071) 2006 AO4 were made on 2013 September 23. From the lightcurve we obtained a synodic period of 4.09 0.17 h with an amplitude of 0.13 mag.
Near-Earth Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at CS3-Palmer Divide Station: 2015 January - March
Lightcurves for 35 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) were obtained at the Center for Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station (CS3-PDS) from 2014 December through 2015 March. One object, (159454) 2000 DJ8, may be a highly bifurcated body, or a close binary.
Three Hungaria asteroids observed at the Center for Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station (CS3-PDS) in 2015 January-March showed unusual characteristics. 2449 Kenos, a probable member of the Hungaria collisional family, is likely to be a binary object with period P1 = 3.8481 h and P2 = 15.85 h. The 2015 observations of 6901 Roybishop, a member of the Hungaria orbital group, showed signs of a weak secondary period, P2 = 10.58 h. The secondary period is in contradiction with previous results. (23615) 1996 FK12 may be another example of so-called wide binaries, showing a strong short period, P2 = 3.6456 h, presumably due to a widely-separated satellite that is not tidally locked to a very long orbital period. The primary in such a system has a very long period, P1 = 368 h in this instance. The main question for 1996 FK12 is the validity of the long period.
Low Resolution Visible Reflectance Spectrum for NEA (357439) 2004 BL86
Low resolution spectroscopic observations of the near- Earth asteroid (357439) 2004 BL86 were acquired during the flyby of 2015 January 26. The spectrum analysis shows that its taxonomic class is very close to that of 4 Vesta in the visible wavelength.
The Hungaria Asteroid 4868 Knushevia: A Possible Binary
CCD photometry observations of the Hungaria asteroid 4868 Knushevia were made in 2013 April-June at the Center for Solar System Studies. Analysis of the data indicates that the asteroid may be a binary with a primary period P1 = 3.4122 0.0001 h, A1 = 0.05 0.01 mag and a secondary period of P2 = 11.922 0.003 h with possible mutual events, i.e., occultations and/or eclipses, of about 0.02 mag depth. On that assumption, this leads to an estimated effective size ratio of DS/DP = 0.13 0.03, which fits well within a model of binary asteroids developed by Pravec et al. (2010).
Photometric studies of asteroid 2501 Lohja were made between 2014 June 24 and 25 using the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA) Kitt Peak telescope with Bessell B, V, R and I filters. We obtained a synodic period of 3.81 0.01h, which is consistent with previous values.
New Photometric Observations of 128 Nemisis, 249 Ilse, and 279 Thule
After a single night of observations at the Sopot Astronomical Observatory on 2014 Dec 31, there were possible indications of an attenuation that would indicate that the asteroid was binary. A collaboration was formed by the authors to obtain data from well-separated locations in case the potential satellite had an orbital period commensurate with an Earth day. The final data set contained no significant secondary period and led to a single period solution of P = 3.9769 0.0005 h, A = 0.60 0.03 mag.
Lightcurve Analysis of the Near-Earth Asteroid 2015 CN13
The near-Earth asteroid 2015 CN13 made a fly-by of Earth in late 2015 February. We observed the asteroid on Feb 25, 26, and 28. Analysis of the data set found two possible periods, the most likely being P = 22.7 0.3 h. Given the estimated diameter of 70 meters and long period, this puts 2015 CN13 in a small group of NEAs with D = 140 meters and periods well below the spin barrier, i.e., approximately P = 2.2 hours.
2455 Somville: Lightcurve Analysis and Preliminary Inversion Model
Pages 198-200 Franco, Lorenzo; Klinglesmith, Daniel A. III; DeHart, Austin; Hendrickx, Sebastian; Hanowell, Jesse 2015MPBu...42..198FDownload PDF
2455 Somville was observed on 24 nights between 2015 Jan 16 and Mar 15, which covered a solar phase angle range from 1.1 to +19.5. This allowed the determination of a synodic period P = 2.8287 0.0001 h with an amplitude that varied from A = 0.12 to 0.18 mag. We were also able to determine a color index of V-R = 0.43 0.04 and H-G parameters of H = 12.03 0.02 mag and G = 0.16 0.03. By combining our dense lightcurves with sparse photometric data, we obtained a preliminary shape and spin axis model of (l = 224, b = 68) or (l = 39, b = 49) with a sidereal period P_s = 2.82868 0.00024 h.
We present a shape and spin axis model for main-belt asteroid 65 Cybele. The model was obtained with lightcurve inversion process, using combined dense photometric data obtained during fifteen apparitions from 1977 to 2014 and sparse data from USNO Flagstaff. Analysis of the resulting data found a sidereal period P = 6.081434 0.000005 hours and two possible pole solutions: (l = 208, b = 7) and (l = 27, b = 14) with an error of 15 degrees.
Initial CCD photometry observations of the Hungaria asteroid 5426 Sharp in 2014 December and 2015 January at the Center of Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station in Landers, CA, showed attenuations from the general lightcurve, indicating the possibility of the asteroid being a binary system. The secondary period was almost exactly an Earth day, prompting a collaboration to be formed with observers in Europe, which eventually allowed establishing two periods: P1 = 4.5609 0.0003 h, A1 = 0.18 0.01 mag and P2 = 24.22 0.02 h, A2 = 0.08 0.01 mag. No mutual events, i.e., occultations and/or eclipses, were seen, therefore the asteroid is considered a probable and not confirmed binary.
The asteroid 5685 Sanenobufukui was observed over eight nights in 2015 March in order to determine its previously unknown rotational period. Lightcurve analysis yielded a bimodal trend with a period of 3.388 0.001 hours.
Shape Models of Asteroids as a Missing Input for Bulk Density Determinations
To determine a meaningful bulk density of an asteroid, both accurate volume and mass estimates are necessary. The volume can be computed by scaling the size of the 3D shape model to fit the disk-resolved images or stellar occultation profiles, which are available in the literature or through collaborations. This work provides a list of asteroids, for which (i) there are already mass estimates with reported uncertainties better than 20% or their mass will be most likely determined in the future from Gaia astrometric observations, and (ii) their 3D shape models are currently unknown. Additional optical lightcurves are necessary to determine the convex shape models of these asteroids. The main aim of this article is to motivate the observers to obtain lightcurves of these asteroids, and thus contribute to their shape model determinations. Moreover, a web page https://asteroid-obs.oca.eu, which maintains an up-to-date list of these objects to assure efficiency and to avoid any overlapping efforts, was created.
We present measurements for the rotation periods of two near-Earth asteroids: 1027 Aesculapia and 3395 Jitka. Our measured period for 1027 Aesculapia is 9.791 0.002 h and amplitude of 0.09 mag, which is inconsistent with the previously published measurement of 6.83 0.10 h. We measure the period of 3395 Jitka to be 18.276 0.005 h with an amplitude of A= 0.41 mag.
Period Determination for the Slow Rotator 930 Westphalia
Lightcurve analysis for 930 Westphalia was performed using observations during its 2015 opposition. The synodic rotation period was found to be 100.66 0.12 h and the lightcurve amplitude was 0.15 0.02 mag.
Target Asteroids! Observing Campaigns for July through September 2015
Asteroids campaigns to be conducted by the Target Asteroids! program during the July through September 2015 quarter are described. 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 and (162173) 1999 JU3, targets of the OSIRISREx and Hayabusa-2 sample return missions.
Lightcurve and Rotation Period Determination for 4678 Ninian
Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 4678 Ninian performed by the authors in Italy and Ireland in 2014 October and November revealed the bimodal light curve phased to 56.72 0.01 hours as the most likely solution representing the synodic rotation rate for this asteroid.
Photometric observations of the asteroid 1511 Dalera were made on three nights in 2015 February and March. Analysis of the data has allowed to draw a lightcurve with a synodic period P = 3.880 0.001 h with amplitude A = 0.18 mag.
Dispatches from the Trojan Camp - Jovian Trojan L5 Asteroids Observed from CS3: 2014 October - 2015 January
Rotational periods were determined for 35 members of the Jovian L5 Trojan group. Data were obtained by the Center for Solar System Studies from 2014 October to 2015 January.
Analysis of photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 3395 Jitka performed by the authors in February 2015 revealed a bimodal lightcurve with a synodic rotation period of 18.293 0.006 hours as the most likely solution.
Rotation Period Determination for 1511 Dalera and 2271 Kiso
Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroids 1511 Dalera and 2271 Kiso were performed by the authors from Italy in 2015 February and March. Analysis of the data revealed a bimodal lightcurve for 1511 Dalera with a synodic period 3.880 0.001 hours. A period of 17.14 0.01 h, also with a bimodal lightcurve, was found for 2271 Kiso.
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.
