M.A. Barrios, J.V. George, L.A. Marschall (Gettysburg College)
In 1998, Gettysburg College students and faculty began a program of observing asteroids using the 0.8 m. Lowell Observatory reflecting telescope operated by the National Undergraduate Research Observatory. The object of this work was initially to discover new objects and to provide accurate positions to the Minor Planet Center. The focus has shifted in recent years to the measurement of light-curves of asteroids to provide information on rotation periods and shapes. We give an overview of student observations over the past 5 years, describe the use of Project CLEA’s “Toolkit for Astrometry” in this research, and present some of our latest photometric results from October 2004 observations of asteroids (841) Arabella and (32479) 2000 SL312. This research was sponsored by Gettysburg College and the NASA Spacegrant program.
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.