This prediction update has been computed by Stephen Kerr based on astrometry from Ron Stone of the US Naval Observatory - Flagstaff Station. The Hipparcos position of the target star has been used.

Summary:

This updated path lies around 0.5 of a path width to the south of that given by Goffin and around 20 seconds earlier. The path crosses the Western Australian coastline near Karratha at 12:55 UT and includes the town of Port Hedland. The path would pass close to the north of Alice Springs at 12:56:15 UT before running on to Queensland where the path actually crosses Brisbane albeit at the unobservably low altitude of 2° at 12:56:45 UT.

THE EVENT AT ONE GLIMPSE:

• Date and approx. UT time of event: March 2, 2001 @ 12:55 UT
• Magnitude of target star: 8.39
• Magnitude drop [mag]: 4.7
• Estimated maximum duration [s]: 5.0
• Path description: See above.
• Goffin's original chart reference: A01_0306

• Approximate width [km]: 95
• Map: See below
• Circles along the path are OCCULT calculated exact centerline points !!!!

• Name: HIP 21630 = PPM 120098 = SAO 97047
• Constellation: Taurus
• J2000 position [h,m,s; ^o,',"]: 4h 38m 39.295s; +17^o 24' 29.11"
• Position source: Hipparcos
• V mag [mag]: 8.39
• B-V [mag]: +0.40
• Remarks:
• The target star is in central Taurus. It is located only 1.1 degrees north-east of Aldebaran (alpha Tauri). This would have to be one of the easiest asteroidal occultation fields to locate this year!!

• Number, name: (32) Pomona
• Approx. diameter [km]: 82.6
• Source of used astrometry: US Naval Observatory - Flagstaff Station (Ron Stone)
• Number of used observations: 32
• Number of rejected observations: 0
• Time covered by the observations: 2000 09 23 - 2001 02 21

• UT date and time of least geocentric approach: 2001 March 2, 12:51.6 UT
• Approx. V mag of minor planet at event [mag]: 12.69
• Geocentric parallax of minor planet ["]: 3.57
• Magnitude drop [mag]: 4.7
• Estimated maximum duration [s]: 5.0
• Apparent motion of minor planet ["/h]: 33.32
• Angular distance to moon, phase of moon [deg,%]: 6, 44%
• Update computed by: Stephen Kerr (Win OCCULT 1.4).

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.