Asteroid Lightcurve Observations near Stationary Points: (4179) Toutatis in 1997 February

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan

Nakamura, Tsuko¹  Fuse, Tetsuharu¹ 

[1] National Astronomical Observatory, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 E-mail(TN):

关键词: "Asteroids: individual (Toutatis)";    Photometry;    Rotation;   

DOI  :  10.1093/pasj/50.5.531

学科分类：天文学(综合)

来源: Oxford University Press

【 摘 要 】

Lightcurveobservationsofasteroidswithlong-spinperiods(say,morethanafewdays)areparticularlyimportantregardingthedetectionofanon-principalaxisspinstate.However,itisnoteasyforsuchobservationstoachievephotometricaccuracycomparabletothatforshort-periodspinasteroids,sinceslow-spinasteroidsinevitablyrequirelongdurationandcoordinatedobservationsandtheuseofdifferentreferencestarsduringarun.Weproposeheretheadvantageofobservationsnearstationarypointsforlong-spinasteroids,wherethesamereferencestarscanbeusedthroughout.ThisproposalwastestedforCCDlightcurveobservationsofasteroid(4179)Toutatis,whichwereperformednearitsstationarypointin1997February.Fromsixnightobservationsspanning11days,aspinperiodof7.50±0.2dwasobtainedusingtwoindependentmethodsofperiodanalysis;thisvaluehasbeenfoundtobeinfairlygoodagreementwiththeperiodsobtainedbyHudsonandOstro(1995,AAA64.098.037),andSpenceretal.(1995,AAA64.098.052).

【 授权许可】

Unknown