Minor Planet Occultations, 2010 to present.
- recorded by Tim Haymes (England)

Last Updated 2019 July

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.

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
10.7
16.2 s
11.5 / 12.2
0.9
0.16
Mar 01
(532) Herculina
5.8
23.0 s
10.0 / 8.9
0.33
0.64
One observer
Jun 05
(80) Sappho
6.72
8.1 s
10.7 / 11.7
1.4
0.16
Oct 31
(213) Lilaea
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
21.76
36.6
12.7 / 12.3
0.6
0.32
May 03
(42) ISIS
Report
1.76
4.6 s
11.5 / 13.3
2.0
0.16
Sep 14
(48) Doris
14.40
16.3 s
12.3 / 11.2
0.3
0.32
Nov 25
(83) Beartrix
3.84
8.1 s
13.0 / 12.2
0.4
0.16
Chords
Dec 18
(1796) Riga
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
- - - - - - - - - - -

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
14.7
18s
7.9 / 13.0
5.0
0.08s

Analysis
Dec 20

6.2
7.3s
9.6 / 13.5
3.9
0.04s

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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

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
low 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
2.7
0.32


At 13deg elevation
Jul
26
(489) Comacina
Poor weather forecast for this favourable event. Sky cleared 1hr before commencement
Report

 

11.06

 
10.0s
11 / 13
2.2
0.04s
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
1.2
0.64s
- - - - - - - - - - -