Planetary research has included imaging astroids and an occultation project in collaboration with several additional observatories.

 

Asteroids have been selected for mainly C-type asteroids in attempt to image magnitudes of primordial bodies.  The project has involved only C-type or similar astroids in attempt to concentrate on planetary bodies that have undergone extremely minute differentiation or space weathering.  The project is progressing toward building lightcurves that represent bright and dark areas on the body per location in its revolution and the angle between the sun and the astroid as seen on the earth.  Additional research using these methods started in Valdosta, GA as a AAS undergraduate project.  As the project progresses and more lightcurves are developed with higher definition, we hope to add water hydration (OH-) data to the survey.  If the project is successful we will have results that represent partial three dimensional structure to asteroids and will have the opportunity to show how water hydration evolves over time as small amounts of space weathering occur.

 

The Pluto occultation project took place on March 18, 2007.  The observations were taken at a series of locations where the shadow paths were quite different.  RBO was the northern-most location and resulted in the deepest magnitude drop during the event.  The graphical result below shows the initial combined magnitude value up to the event time.  The chart then shows a drop in overall magnitude which is the occultation event.  The central spike seen near the middle of the event was seen at additional observatories and has possible been attributed to haze in the Pluto’s atmosphere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    More information about the asteroid research can be obtained at this website:

 

    Also published data from Valdosta State University which is being continued at RBO can be obtained from: