Last updated 2009 March 2
PUBLICATION OF OBSERVATIONS
1.0
Introduction
It is an objective of the Section to make observational data
as widely available as possible.
2.0
Having first obtained an
observatory code (see section, ‘Astrometry – Obtaining an Observatory
Code’) amateurs can then submit
astrometry to the Minor Planet Centre. Observations accepted by the MPC are included in the Minor
Planet Electronic Circulars Daily
Orbit Updates. They can also be found via the Observatory List and Object List pages of the NEODyS and AstDys websites.
3.0 Various - Lightcurve
Photometry
There is some on-going discussion
within the section as to the best place to send lightcurve data. There is no
single accepted repository as there is for astrometry but one possibility is
the Minor Planet Bulletin
Geneva Observatory would appear to have one of the best collections of lightcurve data (the web page is in French but a Google English translation is available by clicking the link on the French page). Therefore the Section Director recommends that members submit such observations to Raoul Behrend at that observatory. Data submitted should cover at least a significant proportion of a complete rotation of the asteroid.
Data requirements
Data should be submitted in an ASCII table in the body of an email, or as an attachment, containing the following;
- Julian Date for the middle of the exposure (not light-time corrected)
- magnitude (absolute or differential)
- error
The first set of observations sent should also contain the following;
- asteroid number, name
- observer's name
- measurer's name
- telescope data
- location and MPC Observatory Code if applicable
- camera data
- filter used
- exposure time
Example format
Canopus data is quite acceptable as many observers use that software. An example is shown below - the header data has been slightly modified to include all the required items but the standard format can be used. Other formats are of course acceptable provided that the required data, correctly formatted, is included .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Asteroid: 423 Diotima
Session no: 1
Observer: Roger Dymock
Measurer: Roger Dymock
Location: Obs code 940, Waterlooville,
Start Date: 2005 Jan 12 @
Color Band: Unfiltered
Telescope: 0.25m f6.4 Newtonian
Focal length: 1.6m
Camera: Starlight Xpress MX516
Delta
Comp: 0.02
Delta
Dist: 12.14
Sun Dist: 3.191
Earth Dist: 2.291
Temp (C): 39
Exp. (s): 30
JD NOT CORRECTED
Base JD = 2400000.0
Comp1: GSC 1873:228
Comp2: GSC 1873:110
Comp3: GSC 1873:204
Comp4: USNO-A2.0 star, no GSC ID
No reference stars. Instrumental magnitudes must be used for analysis.
Observation Data (single line only shown):
-----------------
U J.D. Date UT AM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Y 53383.31683 2005/01/12
C1IM C2 C2IM C3 C3IM C4 C4IM C5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
11.427 99.989 -11.133 99.989 -7.750 99.989 -7.976 99.990
C5IM CA Obj-CAvg Err
---------------------------------------------------
-99.990 -9.57 -0.011 0.007
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the partial table above OM1 is the instrumental magnitude
of the asteroid and C1IM, C2IM, etc are the instrumental magnitudes of the
comparison stars. If the measurements had been absolute rather than
differential such magnitudes would have been shown under
4.0 Journal of
the British Astronomical Association
Images and brief accounts of
asteroid observations appear in the ’Observers’ Forum’ section of the ‘Journal of the British Astronomical
Association’ published six times a
year. Contributions to the ’Observers’ Forum’ should be sent to the Journal
Editor, Mrs
Anyone wishing to contribute a
paper to the Journal should contact the Papers Secretary,
5.0 The
Astronomer
The Astronomer publishes observations, images and related notes monthly.
Many BAA members also belong to that organization and submit their observations
to the relevant Assistant Editor. For asteroids this is Dr