Recent Positive Asteroid Occultations

Last Updated 2019 Nov

Introduction:

My interest in observing asteroid occultations started in 1979 using predictions from Gordon Taylor (NAO) in the BAA Handbook. From about 1988, I was observing more often with a Philips low-light video camera, helped by Andrew Elliott (late Assistant Director of the BAA Asteroid and Remote Planets Section 1990-2010). The camera was coupled with a Micro Channel Plate image intensifier and used on an 8" F/6 Newtonian. When the camera broke down I purchased an integrating WAT 120N+ and a manual sync VTI from Maplin using MSF 60kHz pips as the time source. My first observed disappearance-reappearance was of (130) Elektra, which I successfully recorded by video in 2010. I'm now exclusively a video observer using GPS as time source. All the results on this page have been submitted to PLANOCCULT / IOTA, which are the establishments that collect amateur observations for professional research.

This page summaries events recorded with a 30cm F/4 Newtonian (Orion Optics UK) or a Meade LXD55 20cm F/4 mobile Schmidt Newtonian.

Light curves obtained using TANGRA software by Hristo Pavlov
European results prepared by Eric Frappa: http://www.euraster.net/results/index.html

Bar Graph: The proportion in green are the +ve events.
Planetary satellites are in yellow: Titan/28Sgr in 1989 July, and Triton in 2017 Oct.

Diagrammatic Instrument Setup for video recorded events. Mobile recording equipment

Table:
Colour code to exposure times: Blue = with a 300mm F4 reflector, Yellow = with a 203mm F4 Schmidt Newtonian.

4 Positive events 2010:

Date	Body	Prediction	Link to report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop	Exposure	Light curve	Chords
Feb 20	(130) Elektra		Report	10.7	16.2 s	11.5 / 12.2	0.9	0.16		Chords
Mar 01	(532) Herculina		Report	5.8	23.0 s	10.0 / 8.9	0.33	0.64		One observer
Jun 05	(80) Sappho		Report	6.72	8.1 s	10.7 / 11.7	1.4	0.16		Chords
Oct 31	(213) Lilaea	Track Track-2	Report	7.1	5.9 s	10.8 / 12.8	2.2	0.64		One Observer

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5 Positive Events 2011:

Date	Body	Prediction	Link to report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop	Exposure	Light curve	Chords
Feb 15	(106) Dione		Report	21.76	36.6	12.7 / 12.3	0.6	0.32		Chords
May 03	(42) ISIS		Report	1.76	4.6 s	11.5 / 13.3	2.0	0.16		Chords
Sep 14	(48) Doris		Report	14.40	16.3 s	12.3 / 11.2	0.3	0.32		Chords
Nov 25	(83) Beartrix		Report	3.84	8.1 s	13.0 / 12.2	0.4	0.16		Chords
Dec 18	(1796) Riga		Report	3.44	8.6 s	11.9 / 16.0	4.1	0.16		Chords

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1 Positive Event 2012:

Date	Body	Prediction	Link to Report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop	Exposure	Light curve	Chords
Feb 23	(41) Daphne		Report	13.6	22.1 s	12.3 / 11.6	0.5	0.16
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Positive Events 2013 - NONE

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4 Positive Events 2014

Date	Body	Prediction	Link to Report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop	Exposure	Light curve	Chords
Jan 17	(56) Melete		Report	1.2	10.2 s	12.0 / 13.1	1.4	0.16
Apr 18	(386) Siegena		Report	13.8	14.6 s	12.6 / 13.0	(r) 0.9	0.16		One observer
Apr 18	(241) Germania		Report	NEG	8.5 s	11.9 / 13.7	2.1	0.16
Sept 02	(391) Ingeborg		-	2.2	2.7 s	12.4 / 12.6	0.9	0.16		Recorded by Adrian Jones

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2 Positive Events 2015:

Date	Body	Prediction	Link to Report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop	Exposure	Light curve	Chords
Sept 30	(275) Sapientia	observers	YouTube	14.7	18s	7.9 / 13.0	5.0	0.08s	Analysis	Euraster.net
Dec 20	(589) Croatia			6.2	7.3s	9.6 / 13.5	3.9	0.04s	Fame capture	Euraster.net

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4 Positive Events 2016:

Date	Body	Prediction	Link to Report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop	Exposure	Light curve	Notes
Feb 16	(423 ) Diotima			29.2	30	13.0 /11.9	0.5	0.16s		8" LXD55
May 23	(583) Klotilde			1.8	7.2	9.0 / 13.5	3.5	0.08s
Aug 09	(107) Camilla			18.9	22.9	14 / 12.8	0.4	0.08s
Oct 10	(268) Adorea			3.1	3.7	14 / 12.3	1.5	0.08s

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5 Positive Events 2017:

Date	Body	Prediction	Link to Report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop	Exposure	Light curve	Notes
Feb 07	(690) Wratislavia			8.4	14.7	12.8/13.1	0.7	0.32
Sep 24	(31) Euphrosyne			7.4	12.2	12.7/11.6	0.3	0.04
Oct 05	TRITON UTube			142	160	12.7/13.5	1.4	0.64
Nov 19	(18) Melpomene			2.64	5	12 / 12.8	0.7	0.04
Nov 28	(377) Campania			8.4	9	12 / 13	0.2	0.04

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Positive Events 2018:

Date	Body	Prediction	Link to Report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop(r)	Exposure	Light curve	Chords/Notes
April 21	(130) Elektra			16.4	20	11.6 / 12.9	1.5	0.04
May 05	(74) Galatea			7.42	9.5	12.9 / 13.4	0.8	0.08		OW observer chart Euraster.net chords
Sep 06	(238) Hypatia		Additional Notes	12.0	13.4	11.2 / 11.9	1.2	0.16		Strong twilight (Sun at -7 deg). Combined Mag 10.7, Barlow x2 used. Frame
Sept 23	(2875) Largerkvist		Additional Note	0.60	1.0	11 / 16	0.4 Double Star Comes	0.08	Frame
Sept 26	(1573) Vaisala			0.68	1.0	12 / 13	2.2	0.08	Frame	Shift indicated - only one observation in Moonlight
Oct 20	(27561) 2000 KJ1		Three observers got chords across this 20km object. The preliminary Occult profile is elongated.	2.12	2.0	13 / 17	4.0	0.16
Oct 29	(156) Xanthippe		The best UK event of 2018 with 14 observers positive following an alert to BAA members.	5.70	7.0	12 / 14	2.3	0.04
Nov 02	(137) Maliboea		In strong twilight	4.64	6.0	12.6 / 13	0.5	0.16

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Positive Events 2019:

Date	MInor Planet	Prediction	Report	Observed duration	Maximum duration	Magnitude Star / Astrd	Magnitude drop	Exposure	Light curve	Chords (credit: E. Frappa)
Feb 12	(334) Chicago		W25 red filter used in error.	7.68	12 s	11.8 / 13.0	1.5	0.16
March 8	(1093) Freda		Laptop bat. failed so used a camcorder.	8.64	13 s	13.2 / 14.0	1.0	0.32
April 2	(554) Paraga			8.6	8.1s	13.9 / 12.6	0.2 small mag. drop	0.16
May 20	(671) Carnegia			1.8	2.0s	11 / 16	5.1	0.08
Jul 22	(580) Selene		The mount was moved 4m East to avoid a tree. Long exposure and low altitude of 13 deg. Report	0.9	3.0s	12 / 15	dM 2.7	0.32	At 13deg elevation
Jul 26	(489) Comacina		Poor weather forecast for this favourable event. Sky cleared 1hr before commencement Report youtube	11.06	10.0s	11 / 13	dM 2.2	0.04s		Chords
Jul 28	(586) Thekla		Low altitude and noisy data. Lucky to record this at mag 13 in passing cloud. Report	8.0s	10.0s	13 / 14.5	dM 1.2	0.64s	AOTA	Chords
Nov 07	(563) Suleika		The small magnitude difference of only 0.1 made this a difficult observation. A small dip was recorded in the light curve =>	9 +/- 2 s	14 s	14 / 11	dM 0.1 small mag. drop	0.16 s		FIRST Positive event from Steeple Aston - hooraa !
Nov 30	(105) Artemis		# 9 Using C11 at F3.5	11.2 s	12.1 s	13.5 / 13.5	dM 0.7	0.16 s		SECOND Positive event from SA. Usng a C11
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