Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 665 Sabine and Minor Planet Bulletin

Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 665 Sabine and Minor Planet Bulletin

 

Nick Sioulas

NOAK Observatory, Stavraki (IAU code L02) Ioannina, Greece (nsioulas@hotmail.com)

Introduction

In this work, the photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 665 Sabine were conducted from the NOAK Observatory, in Greece in order to determine its synodic rotation period. The results were submitted to Asteroid Lightcurve Photometry Database (ALCDEF) and Minor Planet Bulletin.

Abstract

The Minor Planet Bulletin is the official publication of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO). All amateurs and professionals can publish their asteroid photometry results, including lightcurves, H-G parameters, color indexes, and shape/spin axis models. It is also the refereed journal by the SAO/NASA ADS. All MPB papers are indexed in the ADS.

 

The lightcurve of an asteroid can be used to determine the period, the shape and its size. We can also understand its composition (if it is a solid body or something else) and the orientation of the spin axes. Due to the high number of the asteroids the need of measuring them is important and all available telescopes are necessary to track them.

 

My amateur observatory participates in the effort to record all these objects in the Solar System. It also conducts observations of various objects and other phenomena such as exoplanet transits, contributing to the Ariel Space Mission with the Exoclock Project, asteroid occultations and comet photometry.

The observatory is registered in IAU as L02, «NOAK Observatory, Stavraki», in the town of Ioannina, Greece.

 

References

[1] Roger Dymock: Asteroids and Dwarf Planets

[2] Brian D. Warner: A Practical Guide to Lightcurve Photometry and Analysis

[3] http://alcdef.org/index.php

[4] http://www.minorplanet.info/MPB/