This is list is by no means all inclusive. Some of the criteria for building were:
The asteroid had to be 15.0 or brighter at brightest (V as computed using H/G parameters)
The asteroid had to have either no or a poorly established lightcurve
This list was prepared by Brian D. Warner in support
of the "Lightcurve Opportunities" article that appears in each issue of
The Minor Planet Bulletin.
The 'U' (last) column indicates the uncertainty flag as assigned by Harris, Warner, and
Pravec their Asteroid Lightcurve Data Base.
0 No lightcurve parameters reported
1 Very preliminary parameters reported. Very likely incorrect
2 Parameters reported. Error could be up to 30% or an ambiguous solution
? Parameters reported but not published so a value is not reported.
It's important to note that a flag of '2' by no means indicates the asteroid is not worth working. There can still be considerable error in the reported parameters. Also, additional work on any asteroid on this list can contribute towards determining the pole position or shape of the asteroid, information that is known for very few asteroids.
Asteroids with a '(F)' after the name are those reaching a particularly favorable opposition.
Click here to download a list that includes all asteroids reaching birghtest in the three month period.
Opposition Closest Brightest Harris Data # Name Date Mag Date AU Date Mag Dec U Period Amplitude ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5732 1988 WC (F) 1 16.0 14.9 1 08.2 0.524 1 03.1 14.8 -31 2 3.1 0.3 487 Venetia (F) 1 02.0 11.3 1 01. 1.577 1 03.2 11.3 +19 2 13.28 0.05-0.30 5079 Brubeck (F) 1 05.1 15.1 1 11.5 1.248 1 05.6 15.0 +17 3562 Ignatius (F) 1 07.2 15.0 1 12.0 1.074 1 07.1 15.0 +25 2678 Aavasaksa (F) 1 09.1 14.4 1 08.0 1.083 1 08.5 14.4 +27 5450 Sokrates (F) 1 10.2 15.0 1 10.7 1.486 1 11.0 15.0 +17 1003 Lilofee (F) 1 14.3 13.5 1 13.2 1.679 1 14.5 13.5 +20 2+ 8.23 0.56 1826 Miller (F) 1 15.0 14.6 1 14.1 1.809 1 15.4 14.6 +16 1 6.77 0.06 946 Poesia (F) 1 16.2 13.8 1 15.6 1.694 1 15.9 13.8 +23 ? 3566 Levitan (F) 1 19.1 14.6 1 20.0 1.075 1 19.2 14.6 +20 654 Zelinda (F) 1 19.1 9.8 1 21.3 0.801 1 19.4 9.8 + 5 2 31.9 0.3 3162 Nostalgia (F) 1 19.9 14.9 1 18.3 1.756 1 20.7 14.9 +16 5822 Masakichi (F) 1 26.2 14.9 1 20.0 1.068 1 23.8 14.9 +26 1548 Palomaa (F) 1 31.7 15.1 2 01.9 1.720 1 30.0 15.0 +23 1125 China (F) 2 02.2 14.2 1 29.8 1.504 2 01.4 14.2 +20 2296 Kugultinov (F) 2 05.8 14.6 2 06.4 1.666 2 05.2 14.6 +18 506 Marion (F) 2 07.0 12.2 2 04.9 1.683 2 07.4 12.2 +12 2 10.59 0.23-0.70 630 Euphemia (F) 2 22.1 14.0 2 16.4 1.361 2 15.9 14.0 +27 2 79.18 0.20 4606 Saheki (F) 2 16.0 14.6 2 17.0 1.041 2 17.3 14.5 + 7 2857 NOT (F) 2 18.7 14.8 2 17.5 1.202 2 18.7 14.8 +12 2 5.63 0.28 807 Ceraskia (F) 2 20.0 14.4 2 18.3 1.867 2 18.8 14.4 +16 2 7.4 0.25 6619 Kolya (F) 2 26.3 14.4 2 18.8 1.657 2 19.4 14.4 +33 740 Cantabia (F) 2 24.1 12.6 2 22.0 1.727 2 20.6 12.6 +20 1 > 24. 4719 Burnaby (F) 2 25.4 14.6 2 20.5 1.308 2 23.5 14.6 +15 1678 Hveen (F) 2 25.8 14.7 2 22.8 1.888 2 24.3 14.7 +13 318 Magdalena (F) 2 24.1 13.4 2 23.3 2.038 2 24.7 13.4 + 8 1 59.5 0.11 4640 Hara (F) 2 25.3 14.8 2 23.3 1.044 2 24.8 14.8 +11 4148 McCartney (F) 2 24.8 14.7 2 27.9 1.050 2 25.2 14.7 + 7 1254 Erfordia (F) 2 23.1 15.0 2 26.7 2.036 2 25.7 15.0 + 2 1755 Lorbach (F) 2 28.2 14.6 2 27.9 1.972 2 28.0 14.6 + 9 34036 2000 OX27 (F) 3 01.2 14.5 2 24.3 0.911 3 01.3 14.5 + 4 4904 Makio (F) 2 24.8 15.0 3 01.2 1.133 3 02.2 15.0 - 9 2396 Kochi (F) 3 03.8 14.9 3 05.8 1.648 3 03.1 14.8 + 8 52768 1998 OR2 (F) 7 12.5 16.7 3 12.1 0.179 3 04.2 14.7 + 3 2679 Kittisvaara (F) 3 02.0 14.9 3 05.8 1.413 3 07.0 14.9 - 5 5318 Dientzenhofer (F) 3 09.1 15.0 3 07.5 0.994 3 07.1 15.0 +10 5070 Arai (F) 3 07.6 14.8 3 08.9 1.889 3 07.9 14.8 + 4 4457 van Gogh (F) 3 09.0 14.9 3 12.6 1.326 3 12.0 14.9 - 3 2 7.60 0.12 46992 1998 TZ17 (F) 3 12.2 15.0 3 13.4 1.417 3 13.3 15.0 - 1 6398 Timhunter (F) 4 05.7 14.9 3 17.6 0.943 3 15.1 14.7 +34 1344 Caubeta (F) 3 20.9 14.7 3 20.3 0.999 3 17.9 14.7 +11 1446 Sillanpaa (F) 3 21.5 14.5 3 24.2 1.054 3 20.6 14.5 + 3 738 Alagasta (F) 3 22.3 13.9 3 21.6 1.854 3 20.9 13.9 + 4 2 17.83 0.20 671 Carnegia (F) 3 22.1 14.0 3 20.9 2.067 3 22.1 14.0 - 1 5604 1992 FE (F) 3 25.2 14.5 3 11.9 0.208 3 24.6 14.5 -25 2 6.02 0.10 470 Kilia (F) 3 25.0 12.4 3 28.2 1.218 3 24.9 12.3 + 1 1 <0.2 3901 Nanjingdaxue (F) 3 26.0 14.4 4 06.5 1.076 3 26.7 14.4 - 1 2827 Vellamo (F) 3 27.1 14.5 3 29.9 1.243 3 28.8 14.5 - 9 992 Swasey (F) 3 26.9 14.5 3 31.0 1.756 3 29.7 14.4 -10 2 13.30 0.17 2450 Ioannisiani (F) 3 31.2 14.9 4 01.2 1.795 3 29.9 14.9 + 0 ?