juliensimon/asteroid-lightcurves-lcdb

---
license: cc-by-4.0
pretty_name: "Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)"
language:
- en
description: "Rotation periods, lightcurve amplitudes, diameters, albedos, and taxonomies for ~36K asteroids from the Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)."
task_categories:
- tabular-classification
- tabular-regression
tags:
- space
- asteroids
- lightcurves
- rotation
- orbital-mechanics
- open-data
- tabular-data
size_categories:
- 10K<n<100K
configs:
- config_name: default
data_files:
- split: train
path: data/asteroid_lightcurves_lcdb.parquet
default: true
---

# Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)

*Part of the [Orbital Mechanics Datasets](https://huggingface.co/collections/juliensimon/orbital-mechanics-datasets-69c24caca4ab3934c9856994) collection on Hugging Face.*

Rotation periods, lightcurve amplitudes, and physical properties for **36,259** asteroids
from the Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB) maintained by Brian Warner at
[MinorPlanet.info](https://minplanobs.org/mpinfo/php/lcdb.php).

## Dataset description

The LCDB is the most comprehensive compilation of asteroid rotation parameters. For each
asteroid, the database provides the best-estimate rotation period (hours), lightcurve
amplitude range (magnitudes), a quality code (U rating 1--3 indicating reliability),
taxonomic classification, diameter, albedo, and slope parameters. The U rating system is:

| U | Meaning |
|---|---------|
| 1 | Tentative, based on fragmentary data |
| 2 | Reasonably secure, may be refined |
| 3 | Unambiguous, well-established |

Suffixes `+` and `-` indicate borderline ratings. A `period_flag` of `>` means
the true period may be longer; `S` indicates a synodic period.

## Schema

| Column | Type | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `number` | Int64 | IAU asteroid number (null if unnumbered) |
| `name` | string | Asteroid name (e.g., "Ceres", "Eros") |
| `designation` | string | Provisional designation (e.g., "2024 YR4") |
| `family` | Int64 | Dynamical family code |
| `taxonomy` | string | Taxonomic class (Tholen/Bus-DeMeo, e.g., S, C, V) |
| `diameter_km` | float64 | Diameter in km |
| `abs_magnitude_h` | float64 | Absolute magnitude H |
| `g_param` | float64 | Slope parameter G |
| `g1_param` | float64 | Phase function parameter G1 |
| `g2_param` | float64 | Phase function parameter G2 |
| `albedo` | float64 | Geometric albedo |
| `period_h` | float64 | Rotation period in hours |
| `period_flag` | string | Period qualifier: `>` (lower limit), `S` (synodic), `<`, `D`, `U` |
| `period_description` | string | Additional period notes |
| `amplitude_min` | float64 | Minimum lightcurve amplitude (mag) |
| `amplitude_max` | float64 | Maximum lightcurve amplitude (mag) |
| `quality_code_u` | string | U quality rating: 1, 1+, 2-, 2, 2+, 3-, 3 |
| `notes` | string | Additional notes |
| `binary_type` | string | Binary/multiple system indicator: B (binary), M (multiple), ? (suspected) |

## 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

```python
from datasets import load_dataset

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
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
sub = df[(df["period_h"].notna()) & (df["diameter_km"].notna()) & (df["diameter_km"] > 0)]
plt.scatter(sub["diameter_km"], sub["period_h"], s=1, alpha=0.3)
plt.xscale("log"); plt.yscale("log")
plt.xlabel("Diameter (km)"); plt.ylabel("Period (hours)")
plt.title("Asteroid Spin Rate vs Size")
plt.show()
```

## Data source

[Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)](https://minplanobs.org/mpinfo/php/lcdb.php)
by Brian D. Warner, Alan W. Harris, and Josef Durech.

> Warner, B.D., Harris, A.W., and Pravec, P. (2009). Icarus 202, 134-146.

## Related datasets

- [neo-close-approaches](https://huggingface.co/datasets/juliensimon/neo-close-approaches) -- NEO close approaches from NASA JPL
- [sbdb-asteroids-comets](https://huggingface.co/datasets/juliensimon/sbdb-asteroids-comets) -- JPL Small-Body Database
- [nhats-accessible-asteroids](https://huggingface.co/datasets/juliensimon/nhats-accessible-asteroids) -- Human-accessible NEOs

## Pipeline

Source code: [juliensimon/space-datasets](https://github.com/juliensimon/space-datasets)

## Citation

```bibtex
@dataset{asteroid_lightcurves_lcdb,
author = {Simon, Julien},
title = {Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Hugging Face},
url = {https://huggingface.co/datasets/juliensimon/asteroid-lightcurves-lcdb},
note = {Based on the Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB) by Warner, Harris, and Durech}
}
```

## License

[CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)