Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences
Both the K2 extended mission of the Kepler Space Telescope and preliminary analyses of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data have demonstrated that space-based photometry offers significant advantages over ground-based observations for studying small bodies in the Solar System, including main-belt asteroids and Kuiper belt objects. One of the key observable characteristics of these bodies is their rotational light curve, with known rotation periods ranging from a few hours to several days or weeks. Recent space-based studies show that ground-based observations substantially underestimate the fraction of objects with rotation periods longer than 6–8 hours.
This project aims to provide a comprehensive picture of approximately 10% or more of the known minor-body population through an unbiased catalogue based on TESS data. Its goals include deriving shape properties from light curves, estimating the prevalence of loosely and tightly bound binary asteroids, identifying differences between asteroid families, and investigating changes in rotation rates caused by tidal interactions and mobile surface layers.
The increase of several orders of magnitude in the number of well-sampled small bodies makes machine learning both feasible and essential. Existing space-based time series can serve as training data for the much larger forthcoming sample. The results can also help identify targets for future deep-space missions, in situ investigations, and asteroid mining initiatives.