DOCSLIB.ORG

INPOP08, a 4-D Planetary Ephemeris: from Asteroid and Time-Scale Computations to ESA Mars Express and Venus Express Contributions

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Astronomy & Astrophysics manuscript no. inpop08.2.v3c June 10, 2009 (DOI: will be inserted by hand later) INPOP08, a 4-D planetary ephemeris: From asteroid and time-scale computations to ESA Mars Express and Venus Express contributions. A. Fienga1;2, J. Laskar1, T. Morley3, H. Manche1, P. Kuchynka1, C. Le Poncin-Lafitte4, F. Budnik3, M. Gastineau1, and L. Somenzi1;2 1 Astronomie et Syst`emesDynamiques, IMCCE-CNRS UMR8028, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France 2 Observatoire de Besan¸con,CNRS UMR6213, 41bis Av. de l'Observatoire, 25000 Besan¸con,France 3 ESOC, Robert-Bosch-Str. 5, Darmstadt, D-64293 Germany 4 SYRTE, CNRS UMR8630, Observatoire de Paris, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France June 10, 2009 Abstract. The latest version of the planetary ephemerides developed at the Paris Observatory and at the Besan¸conObservatory is presented here. INPOP08 is a 4-dimension ephemeris since it provides to users positions and velocities of planets and the relation between TT and TDB. Investigations leading to improve the modeling of asteroids are described as well as the new sets of observations used for the fit of INPOP08. New observations provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) deduced from the tracking of the Mars Express (MEX) and Venus Express (VEX) missions are presented as well as the normal point deduced from the Cassini mission. We show the huge impact brought by these observations in the fit of INPOP08, especially in terms of Venus, Saturn and Earth-Moon barycenter orbits. Key words. celestial mechanics - ephemerides 1. Introduction ephemeris. The basic idea is to provide to users po- sitions and velocities of Solar System celestial objects, Since the first release, INPOP06, of the plane- and also, time ephemerides relating the Terrestrial time- tary ephemerides developed at Paris and Besan¸con scale, TT, and the time argument of INPOP, the so-called Observatories, (Fienga et al. 2008, www.imcce.fr/inpop), Barycentric Dynamical Time TDB, based on the defini- several improvements have been conducted on the dynam- tion adopted by the International Astronomical Union in ical modeling of the INPOP ephemeris. The observation 2006. Such a release of planet and time ephemerides dataset has also been substantially increased, especially enable us to go towards four-dimensional plane- with the addition of ranging data from the ESA space mis- tary ephemerides. Section 2 describes the INPOP pro- sions Mars Express and Venus Express. Moreover, the per- cedure for the computation of the TT-TDB relation. spective of highly accurate astrometric space missions like GAIA or highly accurate pulsar timing astrometry, Section 3 is devoted to a brief account of the new con- led to increase the consistency of the ephemeris reference straints and modeling implemented in INPOP for the as- frames by adopting time-scales that are in agreement with teroid perturbations. As in INPOP06, 300 asteroids are the definitions adopted by the International Astronomical included in the dynamical equations of INPOP08, and the Union in 2006. The resulting new version of INPOP plan- remaining ones are modelized as a ring. With respect to etary ephemerides, INPOP08, is presented here with the INPOP06, the ring model and the asteroid selection have description of its new features. The INPOP08 ephemeris been improved, and the precise description of these ad- has also been fitted to all available Lunar Laser Ranging vances are made in (Kuchynka et al, 2009). data (Manche et al., 2007). An important part of the new observations used for One of the novelties present in INPOP08 is the ad- the INPOP08 fit consists in the tracking data provided by dition, in the distribution of the ephemeris, of a time the ESA space missions Mars Express and Venus Express scale transformation TT-TDB that is coherent with the (Morley 2006a, 2007a, 2007b). These datasets are the first radio ranging data provided by ESA, and their acquisi- Send offprint requests to: A. Fienga, fi[email protected] tion and reduction process is described in section 4. VEX 2 Fienga et al: INPOP08, a 4-D planetary ephemeris observations bring a very important set of infor- based on (Damour,Soffel and Xu 1991) formal- mations on Venus orbit. It is especially of interest ism including spin/spin, mass/mass and mass/spin since this orbit is much less perturbed by aster- couplings. However, each fundamental reference system oids than Mars and therefore has greater potential has its own time-scale: TCB for the BCRS and TCG for for precise ephemeris motion, fundamental physics the GCRS. The relation between TCB and TCG can be testing and reference frame establishment. derived, but time transformations are only determined for The section 5 deals with the INPOP fit obtained by specified space-time events (one coordinate time and three comparisons between the dynamical modeling and the ob- spatial positions) so, at the geocenter, the transformation servations. In this process, 34 asteroid masses were fit- reads (Damour, Soffel and Xu 1991, Soffel et al. ted against only 5 in INPOP06. Comparisons are made 2003): between obtained asteroid masses and other published masses. Values for the fitted Earth-Moon barycenter and dT CG 1 1 1 Sun oblateness J are also given. We have also fitted the = 1 + α(TCB) + β(TCB) + O (1) 2 dT CB c2 c4 c5 AU and comparisons are provided with the latest deter- minations of DE414 (Standish 2006; Konopliv et al. 2006) c being the speed of light in a vacuum and where and DE421 (Folkner 2008). In addition, we have performed as well a second 1 GM fit, where the AU is given the IERS Conventions 2 X A α(TCB) = − vE − ; (2) 2 rEA 2003 value (IERS03), and the Solar GM is de- A6=E duced. 2 32 On several occasions, for planned high precision ob- 1 4 1 X GMA β(TCB) = − vE + 4 5 servations, we had some enquiries about the real accu- 8 2 rEA A6=E racy of the position or velocities given by the plane- ( tary ephemerides. This is actually a difficult question X GMA 3 2 2 + 4vA:vE − vE − 2vA to answer, but we have tried in section 6 to provide rEA 2 some estimates of these uncertainties, by comparison with A6=E 2 INPOP06 and DE421. The last section is devoted to the 1 1 vA:rEA + aA:rEA + conclusions and perspectives. 2 2 rEA ) X GMB + : (3) rAB 2. INPOP as a 4-D planetary ephemeris B6=A With INPOP08, we aim to produce planetary ephemerides as fully compatible as possible with the relativistic back- Capital latin subscripts A and B enumerate massive bod- ground recently adopted by the astronomical community ies, E corresponds to the Earth, MA is the mass of body and summarized by the IAU2000 and IAU2006 conven- A, rEA = xE − xA, rEA = jrEAj, vA = x_ A, aA = v_ A, tions (Soffel el al., 2003). This leads to the production of a dot signifying time derivative with respect to TCB and an ephemeris in TDB, and to the construction of a TT- xA being the BCRS position of body A. TDB transformation. The following subsections describe Eqs. (1), (2) and (3) exhibit that the time transfor- the various steps involved in this process and the impact mation between TCB and TCG is explicitly related to for the ephemeris users. the positions and velocities of Solar System bodies, so to the planetary ephemeris itself. As stressed by Klioner (2008), if we are distributing a time transformation to- 2.1. The TCB-TCG transformation gether with positions and velocities, we are building a Two reference systems are defined: a global one, the four-dimensional planetary ephemeris. This time transfor- Barycentric Celestial Reference System (BCRS), covering mation will be called in the following time ephemeris to the whole Solar System and a local one, the Geocentric be close to the terminology of Irwin and Fukushima Celestial Reference System (GCRS), which is physically (1999). suitable for the modeling of processes in the vicinity of An issue remains. The use of TCB in planetary the Earth. BCRS is particularly useful when one wants ephemerides should induce important changes in numer- to model the light propagation or motion of celestial ob- ical values of planet masses, initial conditions and astro- jects in the Solar System. We can then, in the mass- nomical unit commonly adopted by users. monopoles approximation, write the equation of mo- Therefore, even if a TCB-based ephemeris and tion of bodies as well as the conservation laws satis- a TDB-based ephemeris are related linearly, cau- fied by the Solar System barycenter (see Damour and tion has to be taken when one wants to shift from Vokrouhlick´y1995); all these features being already im- one ephemeris to an other as it will induce large plemented in INPOP06. (Damour and Vokrouhlick´y changes for all users. For a more complete discus- 1995) gives the complete conservation equations sion, see for instance (Klioner 2008). Fienga et al: INPOP08, a 4-D planetary ephemeris 3 2.2. The TT-TCG transformation B3 of IAU2006 which made TDB a fixed linear function of TCB as follows: The IAU time realization is done by the International Atomic Time (TAI) with a service running since 1958 and T DB = TCB − LB(JD − T0) × 86400 + T DB0; (9) attempting to match the rate of proper time on the geoid −8 where T0 = 2443144:5003725, LB = 1:550519768 × 10 , by using an ensemble of atomic clocks spread over the T DB = −6:55 × 10−5s and JD is the TCB Julian date. surface and low orbital space of the Earth. TAI is con- 0 TCB value (like TT and TCG ones) is T0 for the event ventionally related to the Terrestrial Time (TT) and the 1977 January 1 00h 00m 00s TAI at the geocenter.
Recommended publications
  • The Minor Planet Bulletin

    The Minor Planet Bulletin

    THE MINOR PLANET BULLETIN OF THE MINOR PLANETS SECTION OF THE BULLETIN ASSOCIATION OF LUNAR AND PLANETARY OBSERVERS VOLUME 36, NUMBER 3, A.D. 2009 JULY-SEPTEMBER 77. PHOTOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF 343 OSTARA Our data can be obtained from http://www.uwec.edu/physics/ AND OTHER ASTEROIDS AT HOBBS OBSERVATORY asteroid/. Lyle Ford, George Stecher, Kayla Lorenzen, and Cole Cook Acknowledgements Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire We thank the Theodore Dunham Fund for Astrophysics, the Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004 National Science Foundation (award number 0519006), the [email protected] University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (Received: 2009 Feb 11) Blugold Fellow and McNair programs for financial support. References We observed 343 Ostara on 2008 October 4 and obtained R and V standard magnitudes. The period was Binzel, R.P. (1987). “A Photoelectric Survey of 130 Asteroids”, found to be significantly greater than the previously Icarus 72, 135-208. reported value of 6.42 hours. Measurements of 2660 Wasserman and (17010) 1999 CQ72 made on 2008 Stecher, G.J., Ford, L.A., and Elbert, J.D. (1999). “Equipping a March 25 are also reported. 0.6 Meter Alt-Azimuth Telescope for Photometry”, IAPPP Comm, 76, 68-74. We made R band and V band photometric measurements of 343 Warner, B.D. (2006). A Practical Guide to Lightcurve Photometry Ostara on 2008 October 4 using the 0.6 m “Air Force” Telescope and Analysis. Springer, New York, NY. located at Hobbs Observatory (MPC code 750) near Fall Creek, Wisconsin.
  • Alactic Observer Gjohn J

    Alactic Observer Gjohn J

    alactic Observer GJohn J. McCarthy Observatory Volume 5, No. 2 February 2012 Belly of the Beast At the center of the Milky Way galaxy, a gas cloud is on a perilous journey into a supermassive black hole. As the cloud stretches and accelerates, it gives away the location of its silent predator. For more information , see page 9 inside, or go to http://www.nasa.gov/ centers/goddard/news/topstory/2008/ blackhole_slumber.html. Credit: NASA/CXC/MIT/Frederick K. Baganoff et al. The John J. McCarthy Observatory Galactic Observvvererer New Milford High School Editorial Committee 388 Danbury Road Managing Editor New Milford, CT 06776 Bill Cloutier Phone/Voice: (860) 210-4117 Production & Design Phone/Fax: (860) 354-1595 Allan Ostergren www.mccarthyobservatory.org Website Development John Gebauer JJMO Staff Marc Polansky It is through their efforts that the McCarthy Observatory has Josh Reynolds established itself as a significant educational and recreational Technical Support resource within the western Connecticut community. Bob Lambert Steve Barone Allan Ostergren Dr. Parker Moreland Colin Campbell Cecilia Page Dennis Cartolano Joe Privitera Mike Chiarella Bruno Ranchy Jeff Chodak Josh Reynolds Route Bill Cloutier Barbara Richards Charles Copple Monty Robson Randy Fender Don Ross John Gebauer Ned Sheehey Elaine Green Gene Schilling Tina Hartzell Diana Shervinskie Tom Heydenburg Katie Shusdock Phil Imbrogno Jon Wallace Bob Lambert Bob Willaum Dr. Parker Moreland Paul Woodell Amy Ziffer In This Issue THE YEAR OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM ................................ 4 SUNRISE AND SUNSET .................................................. 11 OUT THE WINDOW ON YOUR LEFT ............................... 5 ASTRONOMICAL AND HISTORICAL EVENTS ...................... 11 FRA MAURA ................................................................ 5 REFERENCES ON DISTANCES .......................................
  • Asteroid Lightcurve Inversion with Bayesian Inference K

    Asteroid Lightcurve Inversion with Bayesian Inference K

    A&A 642, A138 (2020) Astronomy https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202038036 & © K. Muinonen et al. 2020 Astrophysics Asteroid lightcurve inversion with Bayesian inference K. Muinonen1,2, J. Torppa3, X.-B. Wang4,5, A. Cellino6, and A. Penttilä1 1 Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2a, PO Box 64, 00014 U. Helsinki, Finland e-mail: [email protected] 2 Finnish Geospatial Research Institute FGI, Geodeetinrinne 2, 02430 Masala, Finland 3 Space Systems Finland, Kappelitie 6, 02200 Espoo, Finland 4 Yunnan Observatories, CAS, PO Box 110, Kunming 650216, PR China 5 School of Astronomy and Space science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China 6 INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Strada Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese (TO), Italy Received 27 March 2020 / Accepted 9 August 2020 ABSTRACT Context. We assess statistical inversion of asteroid rotation periods, pole orientations, shapes, and phase curve parameters from pho- tometric lightcurve observations, here sparse data from the ESA Gaia space mission (Data Release 2) or dense and sparse data from ground-based observing programs. Aims. Assuming general convex shapes, we develop inverse methods for characterizing the Bayesian a posteriori probability density of the parameters (unknowns). We consider both random and systematic uncertainties (errors) in the observations, and assign weights to the observations with the help of Bayesian a priori probability densities. Methods. For general convex shapes comprising large numbers of parameters, we developed a Markov-chain Monte Carlo sampler (MCMC) with a novel proposal probability density function based on the simulation of virtual observations giving rise to virtual least-squares solutions.
  • 2011 HP: a Potentially Water-Rich Near-Earth Asteroid. Teague, S.1, Hicks, M.2

    2011 HP: a Potentially Water-Rich Near-Earth Asteroid. Teague, S.1, Hicks, M.2

    2011 HP: A Potentially Water-Rich Near-Earth Asteroid. Teague, S.1, Hicks, M.2 1-Victor Valley College 2-Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Abstract Broadband photometry was obtained to provide data on 2011 HP, a Near-Earth Object (NEO) discovered April 24, 2011. Our data was collected over a series of three nights using the 0.6 m telescope located at Table Mountain Observatory (TMO) in Wrightwood, California. The data was used to construct a solar phase curve for the object which, along with our measured broadband colors, allowed us to determine that the object most likely has a low albedo and a surface composition similar to the carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, which tend to be water-rich. 2011 HP appears to have a Xc type spectral classification, determined by comparison of our rotationally averaged colors (B-R=1.110+/-0.031 mag; V-R=0.393+/-0.030 mag; R-I=0.367+/-0.045 mag) against the 1341 asteroid spectra in the SMASS II database. We assumed a double-peaked lightcurve and were able to determine a period of 3.95+/-0.01 hr. Assuming a low albedo as suggested by the solar phase curve, we estimate the diameter of the object to be ~250 meters, and given that the minimum orbital intersection distance (MOID) equals 0.0274 AU, we recommend that this particular meteorite be re-classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid by the Minor Planet Center. Introduction Asteroid impact craters dot the surface of our Earth as a visual reminder of the ever-present possibility of collisions of space debris with our home planet.
  • Aqueous Alteration on Main Belt Primitive Asteroids: Results from Visible Spectroscopy1

    Aqueous Alteration on Main Belt Primitive Asteroids: Results from Visible Spectroscopy1

    Aqueous alteration on main belt primitive asteroids: results from visible spectroscopy1 S. Fornasier1,2, C. Lantz1,2, M.A. Barucci1, M. Lazzarin3 1 LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, 5 Place J. Janssen, 92195 Meudon Pricipal Cedex, France 2 Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cit´e, 4 rue Elsa Morante, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 3 Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Padova, Via Marzolo 8 35131 Padova, Italy Submitted to Icarus: November 2013, accepted on 28 January 2014 e-mail: [email protected]; fax: +33145077144; phone: +33145077746 Manuscript pages: 38; Figures: 13 ; Tables: 5 Running head: Aqueous alteration on primitive asteroids Send correspondence to: Sonia Fornasier LESIA-Observatoire de Paris arXiv:1402.0175v1 [astro-ph.EP] 2 Feb 2014 Batiment 17 5, Place Jules Janssen 92195 Meudon Cedex France e-mail: [email protected] 1Based on observations carried out at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), La Silla, Chile, ESO proposals 062.S-0173 and 064.S-0205 (PI M. Lazzarin) Preprint submitted to Elsevier September 27, 2018 fax: +33145077144 phone: +33145077746 2 Aqueous alteration on main belt primitive asteroids: results from visible spectroscopy1 S. Fornasier1,2, C. Lantz1,2, M.A. Barucci1, M. Lazzarin3 Abstract This work focuses on the study of the aqueous alteration process which acted in the main belt and produced hydrated minerals on the altered asteroids. Hydrated minerals have been found mainly on Mars surface, on main belt primitive asteroids and possibly also on few TNOs. These materials have been produced by hydration of pristine anhydrous silicates during the aqueous alteration process, that, to be active, needed the presence of liquid water under low temperature conditions (below 320 K) to chemically alter the minerals.
  • The Minor Planet Bulletin, Alan W

    The Minor Planet Bulletin, Alan W

    THE MINOR PLANET BULLETIN OF THE MINOR PLANETS SECTION OF THE BULLETIN ASSOCIATION OF LUNAR AND PLANETARY OBSERVERS VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2, A.D. 2015 APRIL-JUNE 89. ASTEROID LIGHTCURVE ANALYSIS AT THE OAKLEY SOUTHERN SKY OBSERVATORY: 2014 SEPTEMBER Lucas Bohn, Brianna Hibbler, Gregory Stein, Richard Ditteon Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, CM 171 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47803, USA [email protected] (Received: 24 November) Photometric data were collected over the course of seven nights in 2014 September for eight asteroids: 1334 Lundmarka, 1904 Massevitch, 2571 Geisei, 2699 Kalinin, 3197 Weissman, 7837 Mutsumi, 14927 Satoshi, and (29769) 1999 CE28. Eight asteroids were remotely observed from the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. The observations were made on 2014 September 12-14, 16-19 using a 0.50-m f/8.3 Ritchey-Chretien optical tube assembly on a Paramount ME mount and SBIG STX-16803 CCD camera, binned 3x3, with a luminance filter. Exposure times ranged from 90 to 180 sec depending on the magnitude of the target. The resulting image scale was 1.34 arcseconds per pixel. Raw images were processed in MaxIm DL 6 using twilight flats, bias, and dark frames. MPO Canopus was used to measure the processed images and produce lightcurves. In order to maximize the potential for data collection, target asteroids were selected based upon their position in the sky approximately one hour after sunset. Only asteroids with no previously published results were targeted. Lightcurves were produced for 1334 Lundmarka, 1904 Massevitch, 2571 Geisei, 3197 Weissman, and (29769) 1999 CE28.
  • The Minor Planet Bulletin

    The Minor Planet Bulletin

    THE MINOR PLANET BULLETIN OF THE MINOR PLANETS SECTION OF THE BULLETIN ASSOCIATION OF LUNAR AND PLANETARY OBSERVERS VOLUME 38, NUMBER 2, A.D. 2011 APRIL-JUNE 71. LIGHTCURVES OF 10452 ZUEV, (14657) 1998 YU27, AND (15700) 1987 QD Gary A. Vander Haagen Stonegate Observatory, 825 Stonegate Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 [email protected] (Received: 28 October) Lightcurve observations and analysis revealed the following periods and amplitudes for three asteroids: 10452 Zuev, 9.724 ± 0.002 h, 0.38 ± 0.03 mag; (14657) 1998 YU27, 15.43 ± 0.03 h, 0.21 ± 0.05 mag; and (15700) 1987 QD, 9.71 ± 0.02 h, 0.16 ± 0.05 mag. Photometric data of three asteroids were collected using a 0.43- meter PlaneWave f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham astrograph, a SBIG ST-10XME camera, and V-filter at Stonegate Observatory. The camera was binned 2x2 with a resulting image scale of 0.95 arc- seconds per pixel. Image exposures were 120 seconds at –15C. Candidates for analysis were selected using the MPO2011 Asteroid Viewing Guide and all photometric data were obtained and analyzed using MPO Canopus (Bdw Publishing, 2010). Published asteroid lightcurve data were reviewed in the Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB; Warner et al., 2009). The magnitudes in the plots (Y-axis) are not sky (catalog) values but differentials from the average sky magnitude of the set of comparisons. The value in the Y-axis label, “alpha”, is the solar phase angle at the time of the first set of observations. All data were corrected to this phase angle using G = 0.15, unless otherwise stated.
  • The Handbook of the British Astronomical Association

    The Handbook of the British Astronomical Association

    THE HANDBOOK OF THE BRITISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION 2012 Saturn’s great white spot of 2011 2011 October ISSN 0068-130-X CONTENTS CALENDAR 2012 . 2 PREFACE. 3 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2012. 4 SKY DIARY . .. 5 VISIBILITY OF PLANETS. 6 RISING AND SETTING OF THE PLANETS IN LATITUDES 52°N AND 35°S. 7-8 ECLIPSES . 9-15 TIME. 16-17 EARTH AND SUN. 18-20 MOON . 21 SUN’S SELENOGRAPHIC COLONGITUDE. 22 MOONRISE AND MOONSET . 23-27 LUNAR OCCULTATIONS . 28-34 GRAZING LUNAR OCCULTATIONS. 35-36 PLANETS – EXPLANATION OF TABLES. 37 APPEARANCE OF PLANETS. 38 MERCURY. 39-40 VENUS. 41 MARS. 42-43 ASTEROIDS AND DWARF PLANETS. 44-60 JUPITER . 61-64 SATELLITES OF JUPITER . 65-79 SATURN. 80-83 SATELLITES OF SATURN . 84-87 URANUS. 88 NEPTUNE. 89 COMETS. 90-96 METEOR DIARY . 97-99 VARIABLE STARS . 100-105 Algol; λ Tauri; RZ Cassiopeiae; Mira Stars; eta Geminorum EPHEMERIDES OF DOUBLE STARS . 106-107 BRIGHT STARS . 108 ACTIVE GALAXIES . 109 INTERNET RESOURCES. 110-111 GREEK ALPHABET. 111 ERRATA . 112 Front Cover: Saturn’s great white spot of 2011: Image taken on 2011 March 21 00:10 UT by Damian Peach using a 356mm reflector and PGR Flea3 camera from Selsey, UK. Processed with Registax and Photoshop. British Astronomical Association HANDBOOK FOR 2012 NINETY-FIRST YEAR OF PUBLICATION BURLINGTON HOUSE, PICCADILLY, LONDON, W1J 0DU Telephone 020 7734 4145 2 CALENDAR 2012 January February March April May June July August September October November December Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of Month Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year Week Year 1 Sun.
  • (2000) Forging Asteroid-Meteorite Relationships Through Reflectance

    (2000) Forging Asteroid-Meteorite Relationships Through Reflectance

    Forging Asteroid-Meteorite Relationships through Reflectance Spectroscopy by Thomas H. Burbine Jr. B.S. Physics Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1988 M.S. Geology and Planetary Science University of Pittsburgh, 1991 SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC, AND PLANETARY SCIENCES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN PLANETARY SCIENCES AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY FEBRUARY 2000 © 2000 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. Signature of Author: Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences December 30, 1999 Certified by: Richard P. Binzel Professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Thesis Supervisor Accepted by: Ronald G. Prinn MASSACHUSES INSTMUTE Professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Department Head JA N 0 1 2000 ARCHIVES LIBRARIES I 3 Forging Asteroid-Meteorite Relationships through Reflectance Spectroscopy by Thomas H. Burbine Jr. Submitted to the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences on December 30, 1999 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Planetary Sciences ABSTRACT Near-infrared spectra (-0.90 to ~1.65 microns) were obtained for 196 main-belt and near-Earth asteroids to determine plausible meteorite parent bodies. These spectra, when coupled with previously obtained visible data, allow for a better determination of asteroid mineralogies. Over half of the observed objects have estimated diameters less than 20 k-m. Many important results were obtained concerning the compositional structure of the asteroid belt. A number of small objects near asteroid 4 Vesta were found to have near-infrared spectra similar to the eucrite and howardite meteorites, which are believed to be derived from Vesta.
  • The Minor Planet Bulletin, It Is a Pleasure to Announce the Appointment of Brian D

    The Minor Planet Bulletin, It Is a Pleasure to Announce the Appointment of Brian D

    THE MINOR PLANET BULLETIN OF THE MINOR PLANETS SECTION OF THE BULLETIN ASSOCIATION OF LUNAR AND PLANETARY OBSERVERS VOLUME 33, NUMBER 1, A.D. 2006 JANUARY-MARCH 1. LIGHTCURVE AND ROTATION PERIOD Observatory (Observatory code 926) near Nogales, Arizona. The DETERMINATION FOR MINOR PLANET 4006 SANDLER observatory is located at an altitude of 1312 meters and features a 0.81 m F7 Ritchey-Chrétien telescope and a SITe 1024 x 1024 x Matthew T. Vonk 24 micron CCD. Observations were conducted on (UT dates) Daniel J. Kopchinski January 29, February 7, 8, 2005. A total of 37 unfiltered images Amanda R. Pittman with exposure times of 120 seconds were analyzed using Canopus. Stephen Taubel The lightcurve, shown in the figure below, indicates a period of Department of Physics 3.40 ± 0.01 hours and an amplitude of 0.16 magnitude. University of Wisconsin – River Falls 410 South Third Street Acknowledgements River Falls, WI 54022 [email protected] Thanks to Michael Schwartz and Paulo Halvorcem for their great work at Tenagra Observatory. (Received: 25 July) References Minor planet 4006 Sandler was observed during January Schmadel, L. D. (1999). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. and February of 2005. The synodic period was Springer: Berlin, Germany. 4th Edition. measured and determined to be 3.40 ± 0.01 hours with an amplitude of 0.16 magnitude. Warner, B. D. and Alan Harris, A. (2004) “Potential Lightcurve Targets 2005 January – March”, www.minorplanetobserver.com/ astlc/targets_1q_2005.htm Minor planet 4006 Sandler was discovered by the Russian astronomer Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova in 1972. (Schmadel, 1999) It orbits the sun with an orbit that varies between 2.058 AU and 2.975 AU which locates it in the heart of the main asteroid belt.
  • A Radar Survey of Main-Belt Asteroids: Arecibo Observations of 55 Objects During 1999–2003

    A Radar Survey of Main-Belt Asteroids: Arecibo Observations of 55 Objects During 1999–2003

    Icarus 186 (2007) 126–151 www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus A radar survey of main-belt asteroids: Arecibo observations of 55 objects during 1999–2003 Christopher Magri a,∗, Michael C. Nolan b,StevenJ.Ostroc, Jon D. Giorgini d a University of Maine at Farmington, 173 High Street—Preble Hall, Farmington, ME 04938, USA b Arecibo Observatory, HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo, PR 00612, USA c 300-233, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, USA d 301-150, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, USA Received 3 June 2006; revised 10 August 2006 Available online 24 October 2006 Abstract We report Arecibo observations of 55 main-belt asteroids (MBAs) during 1999–2003. Most of our targets had not been detected previously with radar, so these observations more than double the number of radar-detected MBAs. Our bandwidth estimates constrain our targets’ pole directions in a manner that is geometrically distinct from optically derived constraints. We present detailed statistical analyses of the disk-integrated properties (radar albedo and circular polarization ratio) of the 84 MBAs observed with radar through March 2003; all of these observations are summarized in the online supplementary information. Certain conclusions reached in previous studies are strengthened: M asteroids have higher mean radar albedos and a wider range of albedos than do other MBAs, suggesting that both metal-rich and metal-poor M-class objects exist; and C- and S-class MBAs have indistinguishable radar albedo distributions, suggesting that most S-class objects are chondritic. Also in accord with earlier results, there is evidence that primitive asteroids from outside the C taxon (F, G, P, and D) are not as radar-bright as C and S objects, but a convincing statistical test must await larger sample sizes.
  • The Minor Planet Bulletin Is Open to Papers on All Aspects of 6500 Kodaira (F) 9 25.5 14.8 + 5 0 Minor Planet Study

    The Minor Planet Bulletin Is Open to Papers on All Aspects of 6500 Kodaira (F) 9 25.5 14.8 + 5 0 Minor Planet Study

    THE MINOR PLANET BULLETIN OF THE MINOR PLANETS SECTION OF THE BULLETIN ASSOCIATION OF LUNAR AND PLANETARY OBSERVERS VOLUME 32, NUMBER 3, A.D. 2005 JULY-SEPTEMBER 45. 120 LACHESIS – A VERY SLOW ROTATOR were light-time corrected. Aspect data are listed in Table I, which also shows the (small) percentage of the lightcurve observed each Colin Bembrick night, due to the long period. Period analysis was carried out Mt Tarana Observatory using the “AVE” software (Barbera, 2004). Initial results indicated PO Box 1537, Bathurst, NSW, Australia a period close to 1.95 days and many trial phase stacks further [email protected] refined this to 1.910 days. The composite light curve is shown in Figure 1, where the assumption has been made that the two Bill Allen maxima are of approximately equal brightness. The arbitrary zero Vintage Lane Observatory phase maximum is at JD 2453077.240. 83 Vintage Lane, RD3, Blenheim, New Zealand Due to the long period, even nine nights of observations over two (Received: 17 January Revised: 12 May) weeks (less than 8 rotations) have not enabled us to cover the full phase curve. The period of 45.84 hours is the best fit to the current Minor planet 120 Lachesis appears to belong to the data. Further refinement of the period will require (probably) a group of slow rotators, with a synodic period of 45.84 ± combined effort by multiple observers – preferably at several 0.07 hours. The amplitude of the lightcurve at this longitudes. Asteroids of this size commonly have rotation rates of opposition was just over 0.2 magnitudes.