astorb at Lowell Observatory: A comprehensive system to enable asteroid science

astorb is a database of orbital elements for all known asteroids in the Solar System (780,489 objects as of 12 July 2018), has been hosted at Lowell Observatory for over 20 years, and is actively curated to be automatically updated as new objects are discovered. Front-end access to the database and associated tools are available at asteroid.lowell.edu. Modernization and upgrades to the astorb system are ongoing with expected completion by mid-2019. Upgrades currently implemented include the addition of physical properties, such as albedo and rotation period, and redesigned observational planning tools, such as ephemeris and finder chart generators. Data on physical properties are pulled from multiple sources including NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS), the asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), and a number of project-specific online compilations. Future upgrades will include additional physical properties, enhanced query capabilities, and a system for credentialed user input to the database as a way to facilitate rapid dissemination of observational results. User feedback on desired additional functionality is invited. The combination of physical properties and tools for observational prediction provides a powerful system for planning and conducting new science investigations. Through queries that execute in just a few seconds we can answer complex questions such as: which members of the Vesta dynamical family have measured albedos and are observable tonight? what is the lowest numbered asteroid without a measured albedo and when is it next observable? which Main Belt asteroids with known spectral types are passing through opposition this week? These examples highlight the type of queries for which astorb is optimized. We will present the current state of the astorb system and highlight some of the novel tools available to the community. This work is supported by the NASA PDART program, grant number NNX16AG52G.