A.L.P.O. MINOR PLANET BULLETIN MAGNITUDE ALERT PROJECT MISSION STATEMENT
by
Lawrence Garrett
In order to increase the number of observations of minor
planets having suspected magnitude errors, a rapid
announcement program called the Magnitude Alert Project
(MAP) was founded by this author in 1996. Now
entering its ninth year of publication, this project's
mission is to discover suspected magnitude errors, alert
photometric observers of possible research subjects , and
collect sufficient quantity and quality of magnitude
estimate as to publish suggested revised H values in the
Minor Planet Bulletin.
This program is open to all observers, from visual to the
most exacting photometric observatories. For
advanced observers or as research programs for college
observatories, observation of magnitudes may be better
suited for those who cannot spend the long hours needed to
produce lightcurves of minor planets. The standards required
to join MAP are not firmly set, but rather wish to invite
those interested to bring what they may to the project.
Since we range from visual to precise estimates in our
members, a place in our research team is usually open to
all. Indeed, from the first sighting of the suspected
magnitude errors to our final published values, team work at
all levels is much needed.
With readers now in nearly a dozen countries, MAP has moved
from a small e-mail program between a handful of visual
observers to over 50 members! Our largest group comes for
the AUDE (the users of electronic detectors, in English).
This group of CDD users is mainly based in Europe, under the
direction of professional astronomer Alain Klotz, with
Christian Jasinsky as webmaster. Serving as AUDE MAP
MANAGER is Gerard Faure, who complies
the MAP database posted at this webpage and also at the
AUDE website at http://aude.geoman.net/index.html .
Gerard is also a members of the A.L.P.O. Minor Planet
Section, and contributes many papers which can be found in
the current MAP DATABASE ZIPFILE posted at this page.
For readers who cannot read the French of the AUDE site,
please go to http://babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn ,
for a translation service that can display the pages in
several languages, the service is not perfect, but should
make reading the work of the AUDE enjoyable.
Observers wishing to join MAP are requested to contact me
at lsgasterois@msn.com. You will be placed on our mailing
list and receive MAP Alerts, listing research targets, plus
news and letters from readers.
Lawrence Garrett
Assistant Coordinator ALPO Minor Planet Section
206 River Road
Fairfax, Vt 05454
lgasteroid@earthlink.net