Call for Observations
Slow Rotating Asteroids, Slow Rotators
Astronomical Observatory Institute of Poznan, Poland is coordinating a world-wide observing campaign
for slow rotating asteroids. These are small bodies of the main belt with slow rotation and small lightcurve amplitudes, avoided by most of previous studies [1]. The aim is to improve biased statistics
of spin and shape modelled asteroids. Recent results from TESS spacecraft have shown that slow rotators are actually dominating in the population of main belt asteroids [4], while asteroids with available spin and shape model have predominantly short rotation periods.
We focus on multi-apparition photometric observations, lightcurve inversion modelling, and scaling those models with thermal infrared data [2, 3]. However, many of these asteroids have poor or problematic thermal datasets, and cannot be precisely scaled this way. This is where good, multi-chord occultation can greatly help. Occultations can also pinpoint the correct spin and shape solution from two mirror ones produced by lightcurve inversion (see e.g. Svea model fitting in paper [2]). For some of our targets, marked in bold in the list, Gaia mission will provide mass, so precise density could be derived for studies on internal composition.
Please join the project and observe stellar occultations by the these asteroids, whenever possible. In OccultWatcher you can find these objects under the tag "slow rotators".
List of proposed asteroids
49 Pales 554 Peraga
57 Mnemosyne 581 Tauntonia
101 Helena
144 Vibilia 668 Dora
185 Eunike 672 Astarte
200 Dynamene 688 Melanie
215 Oenone 777 Gutemberga
248 Lameia 814 Tauris
269 Justitia 833 Monica
279 Thule 838 Seraphina
305 Gordonia 845 Naema
309 Fraternitas 858 El Djezair
375 Ninina 859 Bouzareah
366 Vincentina 877 Valkure
373 Melusina 880 Herba
393 Lampetia 903 Nealley
395 Delia 907 Rhoda
397 Vienna 921 Jovita
407 Arachne 931 Whittemora
938 Chlosinde
429 Lotis 992 Swasey
491 Carina 999 Zachia
527 Euryanthe 1062 Ljuba
541 Deborah 1269 Rollandia
In case of any questions, please contact Dr. Anna Marciniak at:
am@amu.edu.pl
References:
[1] Marciniak et al. 2015, "Against the bias in spins and shapes of asteroids", Planet Space Sci. 118, 256; arXiv:1711.02429
[2] Marciniak et al. 2018, ''Photometric survey, modelling, and scaling of long-period and low-amplitude asteroids'', Astronomy Astrophys., 610, A7; arXiv:1711.01893
[3] Marciniak et al. 2019, ''Thermal properties of slowly rotating asteroids. Results from targeted survey'' Astronomy Astrophys., 625, A139, arXiv:1905.06056
[4] Pál et al. 2020 ''Solar System objects observed with TESS -- First data release: bright main-belt and Trojan asteroids from the Southern Survey'' ApJS 247, 26; arXiv:2001.05922
