Save the Lightcurves

Asteroid time-series photometry has been going on for many years and, as a result, generated enormous amounts data, much of it scattered in “dusty filing cabinets”, paper and electronic, and so known only to the original observer or, at best, a very small number of people. Such data are invaluable for solving modern data problems in rotation rate statistics, binary formation, causes for tumbling, orbital evolution, and spin axis orientations, to name a few. With the rate of data generation going up almost exponentially the past decade and sure to grow even faster when large wide-field surveys come on line, it’s critical that lightcurve data not be lost and be made available to as many researchers as possible. Toward this goal, a new standardized format for reporting asteroid lightcurve data has been proposed: the Asteroid Lightcurve Data Exchange Format (ALCDEF). Establishing this new standard has lead to it being adopted by the Minor Planet Center, the recognized clearing house for asteroid and comet astrometry data. Their participation may help assure broad acceptance of the ALCDEF standard and, most important, that asteroid lightcurve photometry data will be available to all researchers for years to come.