MinorPlanet.info: Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)

The Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB) is a listing of asteroid lightcurve parameters and other information, e.g., estimated/measured diameters, absolute magnitudes (H), phase slope parameters (G), albedos, and more.

A summary set of tables (text files) is distributed annually for general use along with special versions for the Planetary Data System (PDS) and the ITA in St. Petersburg, Russia (Ephemerides of Minor Planets).

About the Data Files

The text files files contain the most critical information from all the main data tables (lookup tables are not included).

The main exception is the BASIC_F-D.TXT file. This contains the data used to generate the frequency-diameter (F-D) plots included in the release.

THIS FILE DOES NOT INCLUDE U <= 1+, WIDE-FIELD, OR SPARSE-DATA OBJECTS.

We chose to limit this file to preclude data that we consider less than fully-reliable for rotation or other studies. We STRONGLY urge that the BASIC_FD.TXT file be used as the base for initial studies and/or used as a background upon which to plot new results to show that they either fit the background, or reveal something profoundly new.

Should there be a need for the excluded data, they can be extracted from the LC*.TXT files using the column maps and descriptions for each table.

Latest Public Release

The latest release is dated 2023 October 1

For those who want to ping the site periodically (once a week is more than enough), check this file

https://minplanobs.org/MPInfo/datazips/LCLIST_PUB_CURRENT.zip

to see if it has a more recent datetime stamp

This release corrects a number of entries found by Frederick Pilcher along with a small handful of new entries.

LCDB On-line Query Form

The on-line query form retrieves all columns from the LCDB Summary table and allows you to apply one or more filters to limit the number of records that are returned For example, you can create a subset of near-Earth asteroids with rotation periods less than 2 hours.

The query results table then allows selecting a specific asteroid to show all LCDB entries for that object.

The on-line MySQL tables are always updated when a public release is made. The tables are sometimes updated between public releases, usually when some significant additions are made or errors fixed.

Referencing the LCDB

If you use the LCDB files, either on-line or the ZIP file, please give the following credit.

Short Reference (within text of a paper, etc.)
Warner et al. (2009) or (LCDB; Warner et al., 2009)

Full Reference
Warner, B.D., Harris, A.W., Pravec, P. (2009). Icarus 202, 134-146. Updated [Date of version used].
http://www.MinorPlanet.info/php/lcdb.php

For example:
Warner, B.D., Harris, A.W., Pravec, P. (2009). Icarus 202, 134-146. Updated 2021 May 15.
http://www.MinorPlanet.info/php/lcdb.php

MinorPlanet.info Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)
Home CALL Observing Guides Observation Planning ALCDEF Minor Planet Bulletin Lightcurve Database Minor Planet Center JPL Small Body DB CNEOS Lowell MP Services Minor Planet Mailing List Society for Astronomical Sciences Acknowledgement Development of this web site was made possible by several grants each from NASA and the NSF.		The Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB) is a listing of asteroid lightcurve parameters and other information, e.g., estimated/measured diameters, absolute magnitudes (H), phase slope parameters (G), albedos, and more. A summary set of tables (text files) is distributed annually for general use along with special versions for the Planetary Data System (PDS) and the ITA in St. Petersburg, Russia (Ephemerides of Minor Planets). About the Data Files The text files files contain the most critical information from all the main data tables (lookup tables are not included). The main exception is the BASIC_F-D.TXT file. This contains the data used to generate the frequency-diameter (F-D) plots included in the release. THIS FILE DOES NOT INCLUDE U <= 1+, WIDE-FIELD, OR SPARSE-DATA OBJECTS. We chose to limit this file to preclude data that we consider less than fully-reliable for rotation or other studies. We *STRONGLY* urge that the BASIC_FD.TXT file be used as the base for initial studies and/or used as a background upon which to plot new results to show that they either fit the background, or reveal something profoundly new. Should there be a need for the excluded data, they can be extracted from the LC.TXT files using the column maps and descriptions for each table. Latest Public Release The latest release is dated 2023 October 1 For those who want to ping the site periodically (once a week is more than enough), check this file https://minplanobs.org/MPInfo/datazips/LCLIST_PUB_CURRENT.zip to see if it has a more recent datetime stamp This release corrects a number of entries found by Frederick Pilcher along with a small handful of new entries. LCDB On-line Query Form The on-line query form retrieves all columns from the LCDB Summary table and allows you to apply one or more filters to limit the number of records that are returned For example, you can create a subset of near-Earth asteroids with rotation periods less than 2 hours. The query results table then allows selecting a specific asteroid to show all LCDB entries for that object. The on-line MySQL tables are always updated when a public release is made. The tables are sometimes updated between public releases, usually when some significant additions are made or errors fixed. Referencing the LCDB If you use the LCDB files, either on-line or the ZIP file, please give the following credit. Short Reference* (within text of a paper, etc.) Warner et al. (2009) or (LCDB; Warner et al., 2009) Full Reference Warner, B.D., Harris, A.W., Pravec, P. (2009). Icarus 202, 134-146. Updated [Date of version used]. http://www.MinorPlanet.info/php/lcdb.php For example: Warner, B.D., Harris, A.W., Pravec, P. (2009). Icarus 202, 134-146. Updated 2021 May 15. http://www.MinorPlanet.info/php/lcdb.php