The Minor Planet Bulletin (MPB) call list is a key resource for astronomers to identify asteroids that are due for observational campaigns. When (2977) Chivilikhin appeared on the list for its 2025 apparition, I decided to measure its lightcurve again, as its rotation period had last been measured nearly a decade ago. This provided an opportunity to confirm whether its rotation had remained stable or changed over the years. New data on known objects improves our understanding of the asteroid’s physical properties and also extends the baseline for future measurements.
Over five consecutive nights in August 2025 (from the 8th to the 12th), I conducted differential photometric observations of Chivilikhin from my remote MonitorMyPlanet Observatory (R60), located in Nerpio, Spain. It is equipped with a 12-inch Ritchey-Chrétien telescope, an ASI2600 mono camera, and Johnson-Cousins UBVRI filters.
The asteroid’s apparent magnitude during this observation period was approximately 16, making it a faint but observable target through my setup. I collected over 500 individual measurements of the asteroid using the Cousins R filter. Each exposure lasted 180 seconds.
Over five consecutive nights in August 2025 (from the 8th to the 12th), I conducted differential photometric observations of Chivilikhin from my remote MonitorMyPlanet Observatory (R60), located in Nerpio, Spain. It is equipped with a 12-inch Ritchey-Chrétien telescope, an ASI2600 mono camera, and Johnson-Cousins UBVRI filters.
The asteroid’s apparent magnitude during this observation period was approximately 16, making it a faint but observable target through my setup. I collected over 500 individual measurements of the asteroid using the Cousins R filter. Each exposure lasted 180 seconds.
I performed dark frame subtraction, bias subtraction, and flat-fielding to remove background noise and improve the accuracy of the lightcurve measurements. Data reduction and calibration were performed with Tycho Tracker using ATLAS catalogue stars. Finally, the data was processed and fitted with a fourth-order Fourier series to model the lightcurve and extract the rotation period and amplitude.
The data revealed a synodic rotation period of 6.257 ± 0.001 hours with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.98 magnitudes. This result is consistent with the 2016 data (6.257 ± 0.0007 hours), showing that the asteroid’s rotation has remained stable.
I submitted my results to the Minor Planet Bulletin for publication, and I was thrilled when they were accepted. The results subsequently appeared in Volume 53, Number 1 of the January-March 2026 edition of the Minor Planet Bulletin. [Read Bulletin].
The data revealed a synodic rotation period of 6.257 ± 0.001 hours with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.98 magnitudes. This result is consistent with the 2016 data (6.257 ± 0.0007 hours), showing that the asteroid’s rotation has remained stable.
I submitted my results to the Minor Planet Bulletin for publication, and I was thrilled when they were accepted. The results subsequently appeared in Volume 53, Number 1 of the January-March 2026 edition of the Minor Planet Bulletin. [Read Bulletin].