Vladimir Benishek

Vladimir Benishek's Page

Photometry of Asteroids at

The Belgrade Astronomical Observatory

This web page is an overview of the current activities on photometry of asteroids at the Belgrade Astronomical Observatory (Belgrade, Serbia).

A differential photometry of the minor planets at the BAO was started in July 2006. Its primary goal is determination of the basic proper parameters of asteroid lightcurves: rotational periods and lightcurve amplitudes. However, there is an intention for expanding current asteroid photometry projects into the field of shape and spin modeling in the near future.

The instrumental base aimed for these purposes consists of: Meade 16-inch f/10 LX200 GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain computer controlled telescope and an Apogee AP47p CCD camera with a high sensitivity back-illuminated detector. Although all photometric observations of asteroids at the Belgrade Observatory were unfiltered so far, we are capable to perform a filtered photometry with a standard Bessell UBVRI set of photometric filters made by Optec Inc.

The software MPO Canopus by Brian D. Warner (BDW Publishing) is used to perform differential aperture photometry with five comparison stars and also for period analysis. All necessary image calibrations and alignment of individual frames are performed using MaxIm DL3 software by Diffraction Limited.

Since October 2007 several joint projects concerning accurate period determinations of the minor planets whose rotation rates are near commensurable with the Earth’s rotation or have a long rotation period have been accomplished in collaboration with observers widely separated in geographic longitude: Frederick Pilcher (New Mexico, USA) – asteroids (168) Sibylla, (178) Belisana, (182) Elsa, (634) Ute, (805) Hormuthia, (780) Armenia, (1700) Zvezdara; James Brinsfield (California, USA) – asteroid (168); Julian Oey (New South Wales, AUSTRALIA) – asteroid (178); Richard Krajewski (Connecticut, USA) – asteroid (182); Ronald E. Baker (Ohio, USA) - asteroid (1700).

The observations of the minor planet (1293) were carried out at the Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory Rozhen using 50/70 cm Schmidt telescope and a SBIG ST-8 CCD camera with the assistance of Bonka Bilkina.

All obtained asteroid lightcurves and their parameters are listed below. Click on the lightcurve thumbnail or asteroid’s name/designation for a full-size lightcurve plot.

Period (h): Amplitude (mag.):

(1095) Tulipa 2.7879 0.17