V lightcurves and B-V colour of main-belt asteroids

Abstract

AbstractTo obtain asteroid photometric lightcurves sufficiently covered to yield the elements necessary to apply the methods for computing their rotational parameters and shape, an observational campaign of main-belt asteroids was undertaken at the Astronomy Institute of Catania University. During more than 40 observational runs, made since 1992 at the M.G. Fracastoro station of Catania Astrophysical Observatory, the lightcurves of more than a hundred asteroids were constructed and the values of rotational axis orientation and of the axes ratio of 50 objects were computed. We present the V lightcurves, the B-V colour, the found values of the synodical rotational period and the lightcurves amplitude of 56Melete,95Arethusa,138Tolosa,198Ampella,212Medea,286Idea,432Pythia\509Iolanda,568Cheruskia,674Rachele,860Ursina,1369Ostaninaand 1469Linzia.The characteristic of the lightcurves and the period values are discussed in comparison with the ones reported in the literature.