Analysis of Light Curves of known Objects
- Paper number
IAC-09.A6.P.4
- Author
Mrs. Carolin Früh, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Coauthor
Dr. Thomas Schildknecht, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Coauthor
Dr. Martin Ploner, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Year
2009
- Abstract
Since 2005 light curves of know and unknown space debris objects are collected at the Zimlat 1-meter telescope of the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern, located close to Bern, Switzerland. Light curves characterize the variation of brightness of an object on short time scales. The observed brightness variation is a superposition of the attitude motion of the object and the changing illumination conditions (sun-object-observer geometry). A first approach for the interpretation of light curves for known space debris objects, for which the shape and the reflection properties of the individual surfaces are known and the attitude motion is unknown is presented in this paper. - The light curves of such objects are compared with those of objects with a known attitude motion.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)