This update has been calculated by Jan Manek of the Stefanik Observatory, Prague. It is based on 59 astrometric positions of the asteroid obtained at the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (31 positions) and Table Mountain Observatory (28 positions) between 1997 May 31 and 1999 March 13. Manek comments that the observations are of excellent quality, although the latest is now more than one month old. The ACT position of the star has been used for the prediction.

Event Summary:

• Target star : TYC 1347 00524
  
• Star Magnitude : 10.95
  
• J2000 position : 07h 26m 07.317s; +15o 02' 18.89"
  
• Estimated accuracy : 0.06" (0.05", 0.03")
  
  
• Magnitude drop at occultation : 2.3
  
• Estimated maximum duration : 3.6 secs
  
• Remarks : 69 degrees from a 90% sunlit moon
  
  

Path Update:

• The update places the path ~0.5 path width south of Goffin's prediction with a time shift ~0.3 minutes earlier.
  
• The path now runs over South Australia in strong twilight. Eastern New South Wales is well-placed with the path running ~1 path width north of Sydney at ~8:26.5 UT; Newcastle is on the southern limit.
  
• The northern part of the North Island of New Zealand has a good chance at ~8:27.5 UT with Auckland still within expected errors.
• Path uncertainty : 1.5 path widths
  
• Time uncertainty : 10 seconds
  

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Astrometric updates such as these should not be taken as definitive, but rather only as an indication of where the true track may lie relative to the original predicted track. Observers must bear in mind that later astrometry, in which the target star is measured in the same field as the asteroid, may still reveal substantial changes to the predicted track and time of the event. For this reason it is most important that observers far from the predicted track still monitor the event.