Gordon Gartrelle to give thesis proposal presentation on October 27th

Space Studies distance ed student, Gordon Gartrelle, will give his thesis proposal presentation on Wednesday, October 27th at 2 p.m. in Ryan Hall, room 111.

Lightcurve Photometry of Twelve Asteroids

Lightcurve photometry of asteroids is a useful tool in research.  Lightcurves can be utilized to determine the rotation period, pole orientation, amplitude, size and shape of asteroids.  Differential  photometry techniques wil be used to develop lightcurves for twelve asteroids, nine of which have no previous lightcurve research. The impact of successfully completing this research will be to provide a basic understanding of the physical properties of these asteroids and could potentially lead to additional research regarding spectral composition or mineralogy.