Datasets:

juliensimon
/

asteroid-lightcurves-lcdb

number int64 1 620k ⌀	name stringlengths 2 25	designation stringlengths 5 12 ⌀	family int64 1 9.5k ⌀	taxonomy stringclasses 114 values	diameter_km float64 0 2.73k ⌀	abs_magnitude_h float64 -1.1 30.9 ⌀	g_param float64 -0.12 1.01 ⌀	g1_param float64 -0.1 1 ⌀	g2_param float64 0.02 0.38 ⌀	albedo float64 0.01 0.88 ⌀	period_h float64 0 4.81k ⌀	period_flag stringclasses 5 values	period_description stringclasses 5 values	amplitude_min float64 0.01 1.97 ⌀	amplitude_max float64 0.01 3 ⌀	quality_code_u stringclasses 9 values	notes stringclasses 57 values	binary_type stringclasses 3 values
1	Ceres	null	9,106	C	939.4	3.53	0.12	null	null	0.0775	9.07417	S	null	0.03	0.06	3	null	null
2	Pallas	null	801	B	512.22	4.13	0.24	null	null	0.15	7.8132	null	null	0.03	0.16	3	null	null
3	Juno	null	501	S	257.88	5.28	0.32	null	null	0.2052	7.21	null	null	0.11	0.22	3	null	null
4	Vesta	null	401	V	525	3.2	0.35	null	null	0.3363	5.342	null	null	0.12	0.19	3	null	null
5	Astraea	null	2,001	S	115	6.85	0.24	null	null	0.243	16.806	null	null	0.16	0.27	3	null	null
6	Hebe	null	9,104	S	183.41	5.6	0.24	null	null	0.3021	7.2745	null	null	0.05	0.21	3	null	null
7	Iris	null	9,104	S	198.97	5.6	0.24	null	null	0.2567	7.139	null	null	0.02	0.37	3	null	null
8	Flora	null	402	S	138.79	6.56	0.32	null	null	0.2179	12.865	null	null	0.07	0.11	3	null	null
9	Metis	null	9,104	S	199.92	6.33	0.23	null	null	0.1298	5.079	null	null	0.05	0.32	3	null	null
10	Hygiea	null	601	C	350.94	5.43	0.12	null	null	0.0965	13.828	null	null	0.23	0.27	3	null	null
11	Parthenope	null	9,104	S	160.08	6.57	0.24	null	null	0.1623	13.7204	null	null	0.05	0.12	3	null	null
12	Victoria	null	9,104	L	127.35	7.06	0.22	null	null	0.1633	8.6599	null	null	0.04	0.42	3	null	null
13	Egeria	null	9,104	C	206.96	6.95	0.24	null	null	0.0684	7.045	null	null	0.12	0.47	3	null	null
14	Irene	null	9,104	S	152.28	6.3	0.24	null	null	0.23	15.028	null	null	0.03	0.16	3	null	null
15	Eunomia	null	502	S	252.75	5.37	0.24	null	null	0.1966	6.083	null	null	0.4	0.53	3	null	null
16	Psyche	null	9,106	X	221.9	5.93	0.21	null	null	0.1523	4.196	null	null	0.03	0.34	3	null	null
17	Thetis	null	9,104	S	93.32	7.9	0.23	null	null	0.1403	12.27048	S	null	0.2	0.4	3	null	null
18	Melpomene	null	9,104	S	139.7	6.34	0.24	null	null	0.2634	11.57	null	null	0.07	0.34	3	null	null
19	Fortuna	null	9,104	C	223.07	7.15	0.162	null	null	0.0489	7.4432	null	null	0.23	0.3	3	null	null
20	Massalia	null	404	S	145.23	6.54	0.24	null	null	0.2027	8.098	null	null	0.17	0.27	3	null	null
21	Lutetia	null	9,104	X	100.69	7.35	0.24	null	null	0.2	8.1655	null	null	0.05	0.25	3	null	null
22	Kalliope	null	9,106	X	142.99	6.45	0.12	null	null	0.2272	4.1483	null	null	0.02	0.53	3	null	B
23	Thalia	null	9,105	S	106.51	7.16	0.2	null	null	0.2129	12.312	null	null	0.1	0.3	3	null	null
24	Themis	null	602	B	202.25	7.09	0.18	null	null	0.0631	8.374	null	null	0.09	0.14	3	null	null
25	Phocaea	null	701	S	74.86	7.9	0.24	null	null	0.218	9.9341	null	null	0.03	0.25	3	null	null
26	Proserpina	null	9,105	S	94.52	7.58	0.2	null	null	0.1837	13.11	null	null	0.08	0.21	3	null	null
27	Euterpe	null	410	S	103.76	7	0.24	null	null	0.26	10.4082	null	null	0.1	0.21	3	null	null
28	Bellona	null	9,106	S	97	7.09	0.12	null	null	0.2738	15.706	null	null	0.06	0.31	3	null	null
29	Amphitrite	null	9,104	S	210.42	6.01	0.24	null	null	0.1574	5.3921	null	null	0.04	0.15	3	null	null
30	Urania	null	9,104	S	98.99	7.53	0.23	null	null	0.1753	13.686	null	null	0.11	0.45	3	null	null
31	Euphrosyne	null	901	C	279.82	6.7	0.09	null	null	0.0471	5.53	null	null	0.06	0.11	3	null	null
32	Pomona	null	9,104	S	79.8	7.8	0.24	null	null	0.2104	9.448	null	null	0.13	0.33	3	null	null
33	Polyhymnia	null	9,106	S	52.65	8.56	0.34	null	null	0.24	18.608	null	null	0.12	0.25	3	null	null
34	Circe	null	9,105	C	95.99	8.51	0.2	null	null	0.0756	12.15	null	null	0.17	0.25	3	null	null
35	Leukothea	null	9,106	C	102.78	8.77	0.12	null	null	0.0519	31.9	null	null	0.07	0.43	3	null	null
36	Atalante	null	9,106	C	105.41	8.61	0.12	null	null	0.0572	9.93	null	null	0.12	0.17	3	null	null
37	Fides	null	9,105	S	106.45	7.33	0.27	null	null	0.1826	7.3335	null	null	0.1	0.28	3	null	null
38	Leda	null	9,106	C	115.87	8.32	0.09	null	null	0.0621	12.838	null	null	0.05	0.16	3	null	null
39	Laetitia	null	9,106	S	163.01	6	0.12	null	null	0.2646	5.138	null	null	0.08	0.53	3	null	null
40	Harmonia	null	9,104	S	110.67	6.55	0.24	null	null	0.3459	8.91	null	null	0.13	0.33	3	null	null
41	Daphne	null	9,106	C	186.96	7.12	0.12	null	null	0.0717	5.988	null	null	0.18	0.45	3	null	B
42	Isis	null	9,104	L	99.54	7.72	0.24	null	null	0.1456	13.59	null	null	0.14	0.32	3	null	null
43	Ariadne	null	402	S	65.9	8	0.24	null	null	0.2566	5.76218	null	null	0.06	0.73	3	null	null
44	Nysa	null	405	X	68.96	6.75	0.24	null	null	0.7411	6.422	null	null	0.24	0.52	3	null	null
45	Eugenia	null	9,106	C	206.27	7.42	0.13	null	null	0.0446	5.699	null	null	0.09	0.3	3	null	M
46	Hestia	null	9,104	X	124.05	8.4	0.12	null	null	0.0501	21.04	null	null	0.09	0.12	3	null	null
47	Aglaja	null	9,106	B	138	7.86	0.178	null	null	0.0665	13.178	null	null	0.02	0.21	3	null	null
48	Doris	null	9,106	C	221.2	7.18	0.12	null	null	0.0485	11.89	null	null	0.11	0.36	3	null	null
49	Pales	null	9,106	C	149.44	8.06	0.12	null	null	0.0472	20.705	null	null	0.15	0.19	3	null	null
50	Virginia	null	9,105	C	99.65	9.5	0.2	null	null	0.0282	14.315	null	null	0.07	0.2	3	null	null
51	Nemausa	null	9,104	C	147.31	7.75	0.24	null	null	0.0646	7.783	null	null	0.1	0.25	3	3	null
52	Europa	null	601	C	292.89	6.31	0.12	null	null	0.0616	5.6304	null	null	0.09	0.12	3	null	null
53	Kalypso	null	9,105	XC	114.97	8.66	0.09	null	null	0.0459	9.036	null	null	0.1	0.16	3	null	null
54	Alexandra	null	9,106	C	141.98	7.66	0.12	null	null	0.0756	7.024	null	null	0.1	0.28	3	null	null
55	Pandora	null	9,106	X	70	7.7	0.12	null	null	0.2998	4.804	null	null	0.07	0.33	3	null	null
56	Melete	null	9,104	X	112.88	8.56	0.24	null	null	0.0522	18.147	null	null	0.07	0.16	3	null	null
57	Mnemosyne	null	9,106	S	122.71	7.09	0.22	null	null	0.1711	25.324	null	null	0.08	0.24	3-	null	null
58	Concordia	null	9,106	C	92.17	8.86	0.09	null	null	0.0594	9.895	null	null	0.01	0.15	3	null	null
59	Elpis	null	9,106	B	164.49	8.16	0.12	null	null	0.0355	13.671	null	null	0.07	0.42	3	null	null
60	Echo	null	9,104	S	60.03	8.48	0.25	null	null	0.198	25.208	null	null	0.1	0.22	3	null	null
61	Danae	null	9,106	S	81.71	7.79	0.12	null	null	0.2025	11.45	null	null	0.13	0.3	3	null	null
62	Erato	null	602	C	95.43	8.6	0.09	null	null	0.0704	9.2213	null	null	0.12	0.28	3	null	null
63	Ausonia	null	401	S	90	7.55	0.43	null	null	0.2082	9.298	null	null	0.27	0.47	3	null	null
64	Angelina	null	9,105	X	55.89	7.55	0.2	null	null	0.54	8.752	null	null	0.04	0.42	3	null	null
65	Cybele	null	9,106	X	237.96	6.9	0.12	null	null	0.0542	6.0814	null	null	0.02	0.12	3	null	null
66	Maja	null	9,105	C	71.69	9.55	0.2	null	null	0.052	9.73509	null	null	0.21	0.45	3	null	null
67	Asia	null	9,104	S	57.66	8.43	0.24	null	null	0.2256	15.853	null	null	0.19	0.32	3	null	null
68	Leto	null	9,106	S	150.02	6.78	0.12	null	null	0.1523	14.848	null	null	0.1	0.53	3	3	null
69	Hesperia	null	9,106	X	137.21	7.25	0.12	null	null	0.1181	5.655	null	null	0.12	0.23	3	null	null
70	Panopaea	null	9,105	C	139.26	8.1	0.13	null	null	0.0524	15.8052	null	null	0.07	0.18	3	null	null
71	Niobe	null	9,106	X	92.74	7.31	0.4	null	null	0.2446	35.864	null	null	0.15	0.25	3	null	null
72	Feronia	null	9,104	TDG	79.3	8.79	null	null	null	0.0856	8.097	null	null	0.11	0.15	3	null	null
73	Klytia	null	9,105	S	44.22	9.12	0.2	null	null	0.2032	8.297	null	null	0.26	0.35	3	null	null
74	Galatea	null	9,106	C	118.41	8.97	0.12	null	null	0.0325	17.268	null	null	0.06	0.16	3	null	null
75	Eurydike	null	9,105	X	68.57	8.97	0.23	null	null	0.097	5.357	null	null	0.1	0.15	3	null	null
76	Freia	null	9,106	X	158.46	7.86	0.07	null	null	0.0503	9.973	null	null	0.05	0.33	3	null	null
77	Frigga	null	9,105	X	67.17	8.52	0.16	null	null	0.1527	9.0032	null	null	0.07	0.28	3	null	null
78	Diana	null	9,105	C	124.59	8.02	0.08	null	null	0.0706	7.2991	null	null	0.02	0.3	3	null	null
79	Eurynome	null	9,104	S	67.12	7.79	0.24	null	null	0.3002	5.978	null	null	0.05	0.25	3	null	null
80	Sappho	null	9,104	S	67.01	7.98	0.24	null	null	0.2528	14.03	null	null	0.14	0.4	3	null	null
81	Terpsichore	null	622	C	118.86	8.73	0.12	null	null	0.0403	10.943	null	null	0.02	0.15	3	null	null
82	Alkmene	null	9,106	S	60.7	8.28	0.12	null	null	0.2337	12.999	null	null	0.18	0.54	3	null	null
83	Beatrix	null	9,104	X	81.19	8.8	0.24	null	null	0.0809	10.111	null	null	0.09	0.18	3	null	null
84	Klio	null	413	C	79.06	9.4	0.12	null	null	0.0491	23.562	null	null	0.04	0.21	3	null	null
85	Io	null	502	B	163	7.56	0.24	null	null	0.0629	6.875	null	null	0.05	0.18	3	null	null
86	Semele	null	9,106	C	120.41	8.76	0.12	null	null	0.0382	16.634	null	null	0.1	0.18	3	null	null
87	Sylvia	null	603	X	260.89	6.98	0.12	null	null	0.0419	5.184	null	null	0.22	0.5	3	null	M
88	Thisbe	null	9,106	B	204.98	7.03	0.09	null	null	0.0648	6.042	null	null	0.12	0.18	3	null	null
89	Julia	null	540	K	141.62	6.37	0.24	null	null	0.2494	11.387	null	null	0.1	0.25	3	null	null
90	Antiope	null	602	C	119.84	8.49	0.12	null	null	0.0494	16.509	null	null	0.05	0.88	3	null	B
91	Aegina	null	2,001	C	109.5	9.17	0.24	null	null	0.0316	6.025	null	null	0.12	0.27	3	null	null
92	Undina	null	9,106	X	125.49	6.79	0.12	null	null	0.2157	15.941	null	null	0.15	0.2	3	null	null
93	Minerva	null	9,106	C*	175.7	7.5	-0.006	null	null	0.057	5.982	null	null	0.03	0.2	3	null	M
94	Aurora	null	9,106	C	168.87	7.59	0.12	null	null	0.057	7.22	null	null	0.03	0.18	3	null	null
95	Arethusa	null	9,106	C	135.76	8.05	0.12	null	null	0.0577	8.705	null	null	0.24	0.35	3	null	null
96	Aegle	null	630	T	148.24	7.65	0.09	null	null	0.07	13.868	null	null	0.05	0.12	3	null	null
97	Klotho	null	9,105	M	82.8	7.74	0.2	null	null	0.2065	35.15	null	null	0.14	0.3	3	null	null
98	Ianthe	null	9,105	C	104.34	9.01	0.2	null	null	0.0404	16.479	null	null	0.1	0.34	3	null	null
99	Dike	null	531	X	71.25	9.35	0.09	null	null	0.0633	18.127	null	null	0.14	0.22	3	null	null
100	Hekate	null	601	S	88.26	7.82	0.12	null	null	0.1689	27.066	null	null	0.11	0.23	3	null	null

End of preview. Expand in Data Studio

Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)

Rosetta spacecraft approaching Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Credit: NASA/ESA

Part of a dataset collection on Hugging Face.

Dataset description

The Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB) is the most comprehensive compilation of asteroid rotation parameters, maintained by Brian Warner at MinorPlanet.info. For each asteroid it provides the best-estimate rotation period (hours), lightcurve amplitude range (magnitudes), a reliability quality code (U rating 1–3), taxonomic classification, diameter, albedo, and photometric slope parameters.

Asteroid rotation is a direct probe of internal structure, collisional history, and non-gravitational physics. The distribution of spin rates reveals a sharp "spin barrier" near 2.2 hours for objects larger than about 200 meters: virtually no large asteroids rotate faster than this critical period, because centrifugal force would exceed the gravitational self-binding force of a rubble-pile body. The handful of super-fast rotators below this barrier are either monolithic rocks or very small objects where cohesive forces provide sufficient strength. This spin barrier is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that most asteroids larger than a few hundred meters are gravitationally bound rubble piles.

Lightcurve amplitude encodes shape information. A spherical object shows no brightness variation; an elongated body produces deep dips twice per rotation as its cross-section varies. Amplitudes above 1.0 magnitude imply axis ratios of at least 2.5:1, suggesting highly elongated or contact-binary morphologies. The binary_type column flags known binary and multiple systems, which comprise roughly 15% of near-Earth asteroids and play a key role in understanding the YORP spin-up mechanism.

The taxonomic classifications and albedo values enable population-level studies linking surface composition to rotational properties. Low-albedo C-complex asteroids tend to have longer rotation periods on average than high-albedo S-complex asteroids of the same size, reflecting differences in bulk density, internal structure, or collisional evolution timescales. These correlations constrain models of how the asteroid belt was assembled and dynamically processed over 4.6 billion years of solar system history.

Schema

Column	Type	Description	Sample	Null %
`number`	Int64	IAU catalog number (positive integer); null for unnumbered asteroids with only a provisional designation	1	5.4%
`name`	string	IAU proper name (e.g., 'Ceres', 'Eros'); null for unnamed objects	Ceres	0.0%
`designation`	string	MPC provisional designation (e.g., '2024 YR4'); null for numbered objects without a recorded provisional designation	A910 CB	1.2%
`family`	Int64	Dynamical family membership code from the LCDB family list; null if the asteroid is not assigned to a known collisional family	9106	0.0%
`taxonomy`	string	Spectral taxonomic class (Tholen or Bus-DeMeo system, e.g., S, C, V, Sq); null for asteroids without a published classification	C	0.1%
`diameter_km`	float64	Estimated effective diameter in km; null for asteroids without a published size estimate; sources vary (IRAS, WISE, radar, occultation)	939.4	0.1%
`abs_magnitude_h`	float64	Absolute magnitude H (magnitude at 1 AU, zero phase angle); null for a small fraction of entries	3.53	0.1%
`g_param`	float64	IAU HG photometric slope parameter G; typical range 0.0–0.5; null if not published	0.12	19.5%
`g1_param`	float64	HG1G2 phase function parameter G1; alternative to G for non-standard phase curves; null if not published	0.98	81.6%
`g2_param`	float64	HG1G2 phase function parameter G2; used together with G1; null if not published	0.38	100.0%
`albedo`	float64	Geometric albedo (fraction of incident light reflected, 0–1); typical C-type 0.03–0.10, S-type 0.15–0.35; null if not published	0.0775	0.0%
`period_h`	float64	Best-estimate rotation period in hours; range ~0.0003 h (super-fast rotators) to >1000 h for slow rotators; null if no period has been determined	9.07417	4.1%
`period_flag`	string	Qualifier for the period value: > = lower limit only, < = upper limit, S = synodic period, D = double-peaked, U = uncertain; null if no flag	S	90.5%
`period_description`	string	Free-text notes on the period determination (e.g., method, caveats); null if none	ng	100.0%
`amplitude_min`	float64	Minimum observed lightcurve amplitude in magnitudes; lower bound across all available apparitions; null if undetermined	0.03	80.7%
`amplitude_max`	float64	Maximum observed lightcurve amplitude in magnitudes; >0.9 mag implies axis ratio ≥2.5:1; null if undetermined	0.06	10.2%
`quality_code_u`	object	Lightcurve quality rating U: 1 = tentative/very uncertain, 2 = fair (may be refined), 3 = reliable/unambiguous; suffixes + and - indicate borderline ratings	3	9.3%
`notes`	string	Miscellaneous flags and comments from the LCDB; null if none	3	86.7%
`binary_type`	string	Binary or multiple system designation: B = confirmed binary, M = confirmed multiple, ? = suspected; null if no binary evidence	B	98.5%

Quick stats

36,259 asteroids
34,755 with measured rotation periods (median 7.32 h)
5,859 with high-quality periods (U = 3 or 3-)
36,233 with known diameters
36,250 with measured albedos
558 binary/multiple systems
114 distinct taxonomic classes
Fastest rotator: 2020 HS7 at 0.00083 hours

Usage

from datasets import load_dataset
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

ds = load_dataset("juliensimon/asteroid-lightcurves-lcdb", split="train")
df = ds.to_pandas()

# Well-established rotation periods only (U >= 3)
reliable = df[df["quality_code_u"].isin(["3", "3-"])]

# Fast rotators (period < 2.2 h = spin barrier)
fast = df[(df["period_h"] < 2.2) & (df["quality_code_u"].isin(["3", "3-", "2+", "2"]))]

# S-type asteroids with known diameters and periods
s_type = df[
    (df["taxonomy"].str.startswith("S", na=False))
    & (df["diameter_km"].notna())
    & (df["period_h"].notna())
]

# Period vs diameter scatter — visualize the spin barrier
sub = df[(df["period_h"].notna()) & (df["diameter_km"].notna()) & (df["diameter_km"] > 0)]
plt.figure(figsize=(10, 7))
plt.scatter(sub["diameter_km"], sub["period_h"], s=1, alpha=0.3, color="steelblue")
plt.axhline(2.2, color="red", linestyle="--", linewidth=1.2, label="Spin barrier (2.2 h)")
plt.xscale("log")
plt.yscale("log")
plt.xlabel("Diameter (km)")
plt.ylabel("Period (hours)")
plt.title("Asteroid Spin Rate vs Size — LCDB")
plt.legend()
plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()

Data source

https://minplanobs.org/mpinfo/php/lcdb.php

Related datasets

Citation

@dataset{asteroid_lightcurves_lcdb,
  title = {Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)},
  author = {juliensimon},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://huggingface.co/datasets/juliensimon/asteroid-lightcurves-lcdb},
  publisher = {Hugging Face}
}