Database of 3D shape models for meteoroids and monolithic asteroids

Asteroids smaller than a few tens of meters and meteoroids (smaller than 1 meter) are usually not directly observable while moving in interplanetary space. It is therefore not possible to directly determine their shapes. They are monolithic bodies and their shapes are probably different from those of larger asteroids, which have no cohesion and are often described as rubble piles held together only by gravity. The knowledge of their detailed shape is very important for studying some of the non-gravitational forces and torques that can significantly affect their motion or rotation (e.g. the YORP effect).

The database contains both three-dimensional models of the shapes that can be used for the description of the previously mentioned bodies and a list of them with selected important parameters:

Notes on using the database

• The database contains shape models in Wavefront .obj format.
• The models are expressed in the principal axis reference system.
• The meshes are "watertight" and two-manifold: They do not contain isolated parts, self-intersecting faces, T-vertices, non-two-manifold edges, non-two-manifold vertices, and holes.
• When used in a research paper, please cite:
  • the article describing the creation of a specific shape model (column "reference")
  • Čapek et al. (submitted to A&A)
  • this website (https://shapemodels.asu.cas.cz/)
• For use in non-scientific work, please provide a link to this website (https://shapemodels.asu.cas.cz/)

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