The Steward Observatory Asteroid Relational Database (SOARD) was created as a flexible tool for undertaking studies of asteroid populations and sub-populations, to probe the biases intrinsic to asteroid databases, to ascertain the completeness of data pertaining to specific problems, to aid in the development of observational programs, and to develop pedagogical materials. To date SOARD has compiled an extensive list of data available on asteroids and made it accessible through a single menu-driven database program. Users may obtain tailored lists of asteroid properties for any subset of asteroids or output files which are suitable for plotting spectral data on individual asteroids. A browse capability allows the user to explore the contents of any data file. SOARD offers, also, an asteroid bibliography containing about 13,000 references. The program has online help as well as user and programmer documentation manuals. SOARD continues to provide data to fulfill requests by members of the astronomical community and will continue to grow as data is added to the database and new features are added to the program

Alvarezdelcastillo, Elizabeth M.

Sykes, Mark V.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

TheStewardObservatory Asteroid Relational Database
Mark V. Sykes and Elizabeth M. Alvarez del Castillo
Steward Observatory
The University of Arizona
Abstract
N93-26698
/$8
The Steward Observatory Asteroid Relational Database (SOARD) has been created as a flexible tool
for undertaking studies of asteroid populations and sub-populations, to probe the biases intrinsic
to asteroid databases, to ascertain the completeness of data pertaining to specific problems, to aid
in the development of observational programs, and to develop pedagogical materials. To date
SOARD has compiled an extensive list of data available on asteroids and made it accessible through
a single menu-driven database program.
Users may obtain tailored listsof asteroid propertiesfor any subset of asteroids or output files which
are suitable for plotting spectral data on individualasteroids. A browse capability allows the user
to explore the contents of any data file. SOARD offers, also, an asteroid bibliography containing
about 13,000 references. The program has online help as well as user and programmer
documentation manuals. SOARD continues to provide data to fulfill requests by members of the
astronomical community and w$ continue to grow as data is added to the database and new
features are added to the program.
V-9
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19930017509 2020-03-17T05:36:51+00:00Z

Introduction
Asteroids are characterized by their diversity. We studythem using a wide variety of remote sensing
techniques in an attempt to determine their composition and physical properties, and relate this
information to processes effecting asteroids and other solar system bodies over the age of the solar
system. Observations are obtained through groundbased telescopes and radar, and spacecraft such
as the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). These observations are dedicated surveys or focussed
on Individualobjects of particular interest.SOARD incorporates the data obtained from these various
observations into a single database.
In order to evaluate and exert some quality control over the data, it is critical to be able to trace
each datum to its odgin. In addressing scientific issues it is important also to have a knowledge of
and access to the existing literature on the subject. SOARD contains an asteroid bibliography
containing about 12,000 references, from the 19th century into the year 1992.
In addition to being objects of scientific investigation,asteroids are potential resources to be utilized
in support of the expansion of humans into the solar system. The most accessible of these are the
Near Earth Asteroids (NEA's) whose motions around the Sun bring them within reach of low-energy
transfer orbits from the Earth. Until recently, the information available on the NEA's has been
relatively limited, but with Increased rates of discovery and greater numbers of observational
programs focussing on these objects, this information is expected to grow rapidly. Since NEA's
derive from the main asteroid belt (though some may be extinct comets), knowledge of their source
populations provides additional insight into the nature and physical properties of NEA's.
SOARD's goal is to incorporate ALL published asteroid data into one generally accessible database
for use in research and inexpanding our general and specific understanding of asteroid populations.
SOARD Jsa menu-driven asteroid database management system which utilizes dBase IV software
in a fashion transparent to the user. It allows four basic system outputs at this time: (1) files of
designations of asteroids satisfying range criteria for parameters or functions of parameters, (2)
subsets of database parameters for subsets of asteroids, (3) files of multiband photometry or
spectroscopy for individual asteroids (for plotting), and (4) files of bibliographic references satisfying
users' search criteria. Any data file may be examined using a SOARD browse capability.
V-lO
Table 1, SOARD Data Sets
Asteroids II
- Proper Orbital Elements
- Taxonomic Classifications
- Family Designations
- Pole Orientations
- Magnitudes, UBV Colors, Albedos, and Diameters
IRAS
-- Radiometric Diameters and Albedos
- Individual IRAS Observations
- Polarimetry file
-- Lightcurve file
- UBV Observations
- 8-Color Spectroscopy
- 24 Color Spectroscopy
Miscellaneous
-- 52-Color Spectroscopy (J. Bell)
-- Osculating Orbital Elements (E. Bowell)
-- Preliminary Designations and Discovery Circumstances (MPC)
- Photometric Parameters (MPC)
- Proper Elements (Milanl and Knezevic)
-- Radar Observations (S. Ostro et. al.)
Asteroid Bibliography (C. Cunningham)
Table 2. Existing Data Sets for Future Addition
-- CCD Spectroscopy (L McFadden, F. Vilas)
-- Near-tR Spectra (Lebofsky, Bus, et. al.)
$OARD Data
V-ll
L
Table 1 lists the individual data sets which are currently online and accessible through SOARD. It
combines ground based observations which were published in ASTEROIDS II, radiometric data
collected by IRAS, ancillary IRAS data sets of groundbased polarlmetry, lightcurve, and
spectroscopic observations, Jeff Bell's 52-co10rnear-IR survey, osculating orbital elements for 19,945
asteroids, discovery Information and photometric parameters published through the Minor Planet
Circulars (MPC), ground based radar observations, and 12,742 literature references. As data is
Incorporated into SOARD, it receives a reference to its source in the literature which is listed in the
bibliography file. This provides online Information on the origin of the data and allows maximum
understanding of data quality. Data evaluation is critical to its use in an engineering context.
SOARD Reference Capability
SOARD has acquired and incorporated Clifford Cunningham's asteroid bibliographic reference file.
Cooperation led to suggestions for expansion of his original file. Fields which were added include
a keyword field and a field which liststhe asteroids to which the reference pertains. This expansion
which has been Implemented already for the major journals and for recent publications is currently
a part of SOARD. Full implementation for all citations would require further man hours. Cliff
Cunningham was very helpful In agreeing to alter his file format to make it more compatible with
SOARD requirements. Although he is marketing his database as a salable product, he has
generously given permission to distribute it as part of SOARD to the test sites. In its implementation
in SOARD, a user can search the reference file by author, title, date, publication, keyword, asteroid
numbered designation, some subset of authors or words in a title, or any combination of these
parameters. We regard this utility as a powerful addition to $OARD. SERC will need to contract with
Clifford Cunnlngham and develop a licensing agreement if they wish to continue to distribute his
product.
UDdatina the Database
Ongoing observations and research promise a continually growing body of data which should be
added to SOARD. Current monthly updates to SOARD include data available through literature
searches, data sent by individual observers, and data obtained from the Minor Planet Circulars
(MPC). Maintenance of this ongoing update program of the data sets already incorporated into
SOARD is the most efficient way of preserving the work which has brought the database to its
current level of usefulness. SOARD should eventually expand to include the data sets listed inTable
2. Some of the data, such as CCD spectroscopy of certain asteroids, has been published. Some
data is collected and needs to be reduced and published. Data addition procedures have been fully
V-12
documented in the SOARD programmer's manual so they can be undertaken at any point by a
person with basic computer knowledge.
ExDandina SOARD
Additional programming will expand the features available through SOARD. A fourth main menu
item will allow the user to concatenate functions of asteroid parameters. If a file contains orbital
elements such as semi-major axis and eccentricity, the user may calculate the perihelion distance
as an output parameter of specific interest.This feature will minimize data which must be distributed
with the system while allowing the user maximum choice for customized output of asteroid
parameters.
All SOARD programs have been fully documented and logged in the programmer's manual so as
to facilitate future expansion of the SOARD interface.
User Interface and Testbed Activities
User's and programmer's manuals have been completed and offer more comprehensive guidance
than is desirable with the on line help capability previously built into SOARD. SOARD testbed
activities include the following sites: the California Space Institute in La Jolla, California (Dr.
Lucy-Ann MacFadden); the Institute for Astronomy in Honolulu, Hawaii (Dr. David Tholen); the Lunar
and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona (Dr. Larry Lebofsky and
Ellen Howell), and the Park School in Brookline, Massachusetts (Dr. Linda French). A transportable
execution version of the relational database has been distributed to these sites to test without the
assistance of prior tutoring but with the help of online documentation only. Already they have
provided substantial input into the overall user friendliness of the system and made suggestions for
Improving the SOARD environment. With the addition of a test site at the Park School the
educational applications of SOARD at the pre- collegiate level are being explored. Input from
testsites has been and will continue to be incorporated into the SOARD planning and programming
process.
Community SUDDOrt
We respond to all moderate requests from the community and have provided data in support of
observing, research, and teaching programs. For instance, for the last few years SOARD has been
asked for assistance and has supplied pedagogical materials for the University of Arizona's Steward
Observatory run Adult, Beginning, and Advanced Teen Space Camps.
V-13


The Steward Observatory asteroid relational database

The Steward Observatory Asteroid Relational Database (SOARD) was created as a flexible tool for undertaking studies of asteroid populations and sub-populations, to probe the biases intrinsic to asteroid databases, to ascertain the completeness of data pertaining to specific problems, to aid in the development of observational programs, and to develop pedagogical materials. To date, SOARD has compiled an extensive list of data available on asteroids and made it accessible through a single menu-driven database program. Users may obtain tailored lists of asteroid properties for any subset of asteroids or output files which are suitable for plotting spectral data on individual asteroids. The program has online help as well as user and programmer documentation manuals. The SOARD already has provided data to fulfill requests by members of the astronomical community. The SOARD continues to grow as data is added to the database and new features are added to the program

ABSTRACT
N91 - 24
The Steward Observatory Asteroid Relational Database _) ,'QD_
Mark V. Sykes and Elizabeth M. Alvarez del Castillo
Steward Observatory
The University of Arizona
d
The Steward Observatory Asteroid Relational Database (SOARD) has been created
as a flexible tool for undertaking studies of asteroid populations and sub-populations, to
probe the biases intrinsic to asteroid databases, to ascertain the completeness of data
pertaining to specific problems, to aid in the development of observational programs.
and to develop pedagogical materials. To date SOARD has compiled an extensive list of
data available on asteroids and made it accessible through a single menu-driven database
program. Users may obtain tailored lists of asteroid properties for any subset of asteroids
or output files which are suitable for plotting spectral data on individual asteroids. The
program has online help as well as user and programmer documentation manuals. Already
SOARD has provided data to fulfill requests by members of the astronomical community.
SOARD continues to grow as data is added to the database and new features are added
to the program.
INTRODUCTION
Asteroids are characterized by their diversity. We study them using a wide variety
of remote sensing techniques in an attempt to determine their composition and physical
properties, and relate this information to processes effecting asteroids and other solar
system bodies over the age of the solar system. Observations are obtained through
groundbased telescopes, spacecraft such as the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS).
and radar, and are focussed on individual objects of particular interest or dedicated
surveys. SOARD incorporates the data obtained from these various observations into a
single database.
In addition to being objects of scientific investigation, asteroids are potential re-
sources to be utilized in support of the expansion of humans into the solar system. The
most accessible of these are the Near Earth Asteroids (NEA's) whose motions around
the Sun bring them within reach of low-energy transfer orbits from the Earth. Until
recently, the information available on the NEA's has been relatively limited, but with
increased rates of discovery and greater numbers of observational programs focussing
on these objects, this information is expected to grow rapidly. Since NEA's derive from
the main asteroid belt (though some may be extinct comets), knowledge of their source
populations provides additional insight into the nature and physical properties of NEA's.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19910015078 2020-03-19T18:25:11+00:00Z
V-9
TABLE 1. SOARD DATA SETS
ASTEROIDS II
• Proper Orbital Elements
• Taxonomic Classifications
• Family Designations
• Pole Orientations
• Magnitudes. UBV Colors. Albedos. and Diameters
IRAS
• Radiometric Diameters and Albedos
• Individual IRAS Observations
• Polarimetry file
• Lightcurve file
• UBV Observations
• 8-Color Spectroscopy
• 24 Color Spectroscopy
MISCELLANEOUS
• 52-Color Spectroscopy (J. Bell)
• Osculating Orbital Elements (E. Bowell)
• Preliminary Designations and Discovery Circumstances (MPC)
• Photometric Parameters (MPC)
TABLE 3, DATA SETS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING ADDED
• Families (Zappala, et. al.)
• Proper Elements (Milani and Knezevic)
• Radar Observations (S. Ostro)
• CCD Spectroscopy (L. McFadden, F. Vilas)
• Near-IR Spectra (Lebofsky, Bus, et. al.)
V-IO
SOARD's goal is to incorporate ALL published asteroid data into one generally
accessible database for use in research and in expanding our general and specific under-
standing of asteroid populations.
SOARD is a menu-driven asteroid database management system which utilizes
dBase IV software in a fashion transparent to the user. It allows three basic system
outputs at this time: (1) files of designations of asteroids satisfying range criteria for
parameters or functions of parameters. (2) subsets of database parameters for subsets of
asteroids, and (3) files of multiband photometry or spectroscopy for individual asteroids
(for plotting).
SOARD DATA
Table 1 lists the individual data sets which are currently online and accessible
through SOARD. It combines ground based observations which were published in AS-
TEROIDS II, radiometric data collected by IRAS, ancillary IRAS data sets of ground-
based polarimetry, lightcurve, and spectroscopic observations, Jeff Bell's 52-color near-IR
survey, osculating orbital elements for 16.610 asteroids, and discovery information and
photometric parameters published through the Minor Planet Circulars (MPC). As data
is incorporated into SOARD. it receives a reference to its source in the literature. This
provides online information on the origin of the data and allows maximum understanding
of data quality. Data evaluation is critical to its use in an engineering context.
UPDATING THE DATABASE
SOARD is expanding to include the data sets listed in Table 2. Some of the data
such as CCD spectroscopy of certain asteroids has been published. Some data is collected
and needs to be reduced and published. Monthly updates to SOARD include data
available through literature searches, data sent by individual observers, and data obtained
from the Minor Planet Circulars (MPC). Ongoing observations and research promise a
continually growing body of data which will be added to SOARD.
USING SOARD
When running the SOARD program, the user will view first the main menu shown in
Fig. 1. The main menu offers currently three options for system output. Option 1 allows
the user to select which asteroid parameters, for any subset of asteroids, to output to a
separate file. With Option 2 the user creates files of identification numbers of asteroids
which satisfy user-defined range criteria of asteroid parameters. This file can be used
as input to either of the other two options to identify the subset of asteroids for which
a user selects data. Option 3 creates files of multiband photometry or spectroscopy for
individual asteroids.
V-11
Fig. 1. SOARD main menu.
Under Option 2, SOARD will display the list of parameters within selected data files
(e.g. Fig. 2), and the user builds an expression from the parameters (Fig. 3) which
specifies the range criteria which the asteroids must satisfy. SOARD prompts the user
for the name of the output file. The user may cycle through this process as many times
as desired and then take the union or the intersection of any of the created asteroid
subsets to write a new subset file.
Option 3 creates individual spectra files for each of the asteroids in the user-specified
subset of asteroids. Each spectra file contains four columns: wavelength, reflectance,
uncertainty of reflectance, and half width half max.
All output files are dBase format by default and become part of the database which
the user can access through SOARD. Output may be written to an ASCII format file as
well for access by non-dBase software. Online help is available at various points in the
program and can be displayed with a single keystroke.
V-12
Fig. 2. Second level menu for Option 1. The same choices are available under Option 2.
Fig. 3. Sample menu for selecting and building parameter range criteria under Option 2.
OFt!G_NAL PAGE IS
OF POOR QUAUTY
V-13
SAMPLE OUTPUT
Graphical and image representations of output files created by SOARD can provide
insight into asteroid characteristics and the extent to which they have been explored. In
the remaining figures, asteroid populations are shown in semi-major axis/orbital incli-
nation space which is related to their mean physical locations. Figure 4 illustrates the
distribution of asteroid geometric albedos determined by IRAS. Geometric albedo clearly
decreases with semi-major axis. This has been related to the effects of a heating episode
in the early solar system, resulting in greater differentiation of asteroids occurring in the
inner belt.
Figure 5 shows the distribution of all 16.610 asteroids in SOARD and identifies
the known population of Near Earth Asteroids. which are clustered at low values of
semi-major axis. The level of completeness to which these objects have been studied
is indicated in Figure 6. Of 140 NEA's in the database, radiometry exists for 5 (from
IRAS) and colorimetry (including UBV. 8-. 24-. or 52-color photometry) exists for 31.
The sampling of this population is far from exhaustive.
Fig. 4. Distribution of IRAS geometric albedos in the asteroid belt.
OT_-_RAPri O_JG'_'U_L PAGE I'S
OF POOR QUALITy
V-14
1.0
0.8
Z
,-I
Z
I,',4 0.4
Z
I---4
0.2
0.0
I
ii l
NEAR-EARTH ASTEROIDS
IIIIII
I I I
I I I
' ,,:',
.. ';!:..'
,.:.
5
I I
I I
8
Fig. 5. The distribution of 16,610 asteroids are shown as a function of osculating
semi-major axis and the orbital inclination. The Near Earth Asteroids (q < 1.3 AU) are
displayed as larger points.
1.0
0.8
,-]
r_)
Z 0.4
Z
0.2
0.0
RADIOMETRY
+
• +
- • • "0
-- .. •.'." ":''.
.! -i :._. .::.."
_- .:. _.'."°;
• .- . _ :, .':
,.I ; ,.',',"I I ,._ II,,, , I , , , ,
1 2 3 4
COLORIMETRY
o
"o
+'l
-- .eoe:.. • •
d b
O • ". D'" .
-- 00.;'" ;'_.. _t
_ '; el, .e _o."
-'e Ill. " '-
" .- ,,_4__" ." ;
_ ,,I i ,",',"1'r ,,r'l I , , t , I _ , ,
5 1 2 3 4 5
SEMI-MAJOR AXIS (AU)
Fig. 6. The distribution of 140 Near Earth Asteroids are shown in both panels. In the
left panel• larger points indicate NEA's for which radiometry has been acquired. In the
right panel, larger points indicate those for which colorimetry has been acquired.
V-15
EXPANDING SOARD
Additional programming will expand the features available through SOARD. A fourth
main menu item will allow the user to concatenate functions of asteroid parameters. If
a file contains orbital elements such as semi-major axis and eccentricity, the user may
calculate the perihelion distance as an output parameter of specific interest. This feature
will minimize data which must be distributed with the system while allowing the user
maximum choice for customized output of asteroid parameters.
A fifth main menu item will bring a reference search capability online. The user will
be able to search a file with more than 11000 literature references. The search may be
by author, title, date. publication, some subset of authors or words in a title, or any
combination of these parameters.
Another main menu item being investigated is the ability to run external code. Spe-
cific programs such as code to generate ephemerides, to run standard thermal models, or
to calculate magnitudes would be accessible without leaving the main SOARD program.
Files generated through SOARD would be available for direct input into the external code
and the output of the external code would be in a form accessable to SOARD.
Because of the desirability of a straightforward graphics display capability for SOARD
output, we tested the dBase APPLAUSE II graphics package but found it inadequate for
the scientific applications to which we were applying it. At present, results are displayed
by writing SOARD output to an ASCII file which serves as input for external graphics
packages such as MONGO.
TESTBED ACTIVITIES
SOARD has a testbed site at the California Space Institute in La Jolla0 California.
This is run by Dr. Lucy-Ann McFadden, who is testing a transportable execution version
of the relational database. She has helped identify bugs in the program and has offered
many suggestions for improving the SOARD environment, Recently one of Dr. McFad-
den's students wanted to use SOARD to help him address a research question. He had
received no prior tutoring, but with the help of online documentation only, he was able
to run the program to extract the subset of data he required. Such successes bode well
for a future distributable system.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
We respond to all moderate requests from the community, and have provided data
in support of observing, research, and teaching programs. For instance, the International
Space University requested and received information on Near Earth Asteroids. The ISU
teaches young professionals from around the world about space activities. The ISU was
held in Toronto this year and hosted 130 participants from 30 countries.


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