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This page provides an overview of all events observed during the year where a positive occultation was recorded. Full details of other observational attempts are published in the Section's Circulars.
(54) Alexandra - 2005 October 27Occultation of TYC 6874-00694-1 by (54) Alexandra - 2005 October 27:
Please refer to the separate Alexandra results page.
Occultation of TYC 1223-01266-1 by (19) Fortuna - 2005 October 25:
Please refer to the separate Fortuna results page.
Occultation of TYC 0652-00699-1 by (100) Hekate - 2005 September 3:
View the Updated Prediction
An occultation of indeterminate duration was observed by Ross Skilton at Tayforth, NZ.
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Ross Skilton
Aperture (cm) : 20
Focal length (cm) : 203
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtonian) : SCT
Magnification : 12.5mm and widefield adapt giving about 100x
Observing site name : Tayforth
Longitude (DD MM SS ; East +ve) : 174 59 55.6 East
Latitude (DD MM SS ; South -ve) : -39 54 55.7 South
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 56
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): WGS84
Height Datum (if known) : MSL
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Good
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Good
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.) : Still;dark
Time Source (e.g. WWVH, GPS) : WWVH for video
Recording method (e.g. tape) : VCR failed. Switched to visual timing but missed timing with stopwatch
Could you see the Asteroid? : No
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 13
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
COLUMN FORMAT TO USE---> __:__:__._ _._ _________________)
Started Observing : 13:41:20 approx +/- 5 sec
Disappearance At : In Progress
Reappearance At : Missed timing reappearance
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
VCR failed. Switched to visual timing but missed timing with stopwatch. Definite occultation at Tayforth though.
Occultation of TYC 1818-01272-lu by (712) Boliviana - 2005 August 30:
A 6.9 sec occultation was timed by Steve Hayward at Yimnalem, Papua New Guinea.
The original predicted track (no update was available) was as follows:
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Steven M Hayward
Aperture (cm) : 25
Focal length (cm) : 112.5
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtownian) : Newtonian Dobsonian
Magnification : 70
Observing site name : Yimnalem
Longitude (East +ve) : 144 35 49.2
Latitude (South -ve) : - 5 08 34.8
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 1372
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): Australian Geodetic Datum 1966
Height Datum (if known) : Mean Sea Level
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Fair
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Good
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.): Thin high cloud coming and going
Time Source (e.g. WWV, VNG) : WWVH
Recording method (e.g. tape) : Stopwatch set to WWVH
Could you see the Asteroid? : Yes
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 13.5
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
Started Observing : 19:18:30
Disappearance At : 19:20:50.8 0.5
Reappearance At : 19:20:57.7 0.5
Stopped Observing : 19:24:30
Occultation Duration : 6.9 sec
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? : Yes
If YES, state value : 0.5 for both disappearance and reappearance
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: First minor planet success after several years! It was nearly on the predicted time
- 9 seconds early, so I was poised and ready to hit the stopwatch and am confident it was no more than
0.5 seconds reaction time. Also put 0.5 for the reappearance because of some slight confusion of mind,
which I will explain and you might get a chuckle out of if you have the time to read it.
I've been trying to observe several MP events this month, so have several numbers in my mind of some of
the better ones I wanted to observe. When I went out this morning at 4am I glanced at the Occult prediction
sheet to confirm the time in my mind, and also glanced at the maximum duration, but in the dim light I
saw maximum duration as 1.2 seconds rather than 7.2 seconds. There were a lot of thin high clouds blowing
around, which finally cleared about 4 minutes before time (even though I had been watching the star for
about 30 minutes through the clouds since it was bright (mag. 10). It blinked off, and I was ready to
immediately hit the stopwatch again because of the short 1.2 second duration. But it stayed off! During that
7 seconds my mind thought a lot of things, while also noticing that the rest of the diamond of stars I
had used for reference were all still there and unchanged, as well as that I could see the minor planet
in the star's position. So the star finally reappeared and I completed the timing, but thinking a cloud
must have got in the way somehow. But if so why did it blank out only that one star in a very tight group.
And was it just a trick of my mind that I thought I could still see the minor planet? I was doing lunar
occultations also, so didn't go inside for quite awhile. I checked the times, saw that it was 6.9 seconds
duration, and was preparing to write my report about a false disappearance when I looked at the Occult sheet
again and saw that it was 7.2 seconds. Only at that point did I finally enjoy my first minor planet success!
In retrospect, how could I possibly think that a bright (12.7 magnitude) main belt minor planet would only
produce a 1.2 second occultation? I can only suppose that it has something to do with the combination of a
human brain and 4am.
Occultation of TYC 0026-00863-1 by (51) Nemausa - 2005 August 21:
Please refer to the separate Nemausa results page.
Occultation of UCAC2 27587020 by (24) Themis - 2005 August 17:
View the Updated Prediction
A brief occultation was timed by Steve Kerr at Glenlee, Queensland.
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Steve Kerr
Aperture (cm) : 25
Focal length (cm) : 150
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtonian) : Newtonian
Magnification : 83X
Observing site name : Glenlee
Longitude (DD MM SS ; East +ve) : +150 30' 01.4"
Latitude (DD MM SS ; South -ve) : -23 16' 10.1"
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 50
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): WGS 1984
Height Datum (if known) : AHD
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Good
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Moderate
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.): VERY Windy, bright moonlight.
Time Source (e.g. WWVH, GPS) : GPS-KIWI
Recording method (e.g. tape) : Stopwatch
Could you see the Asteroid? : Yes
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 12.9
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
Started Observing : 13:03:00.0
Disappearance At : 13:05:24.0 0.5
Reappearance At : 13:05:24.5 - See comments below
Stopped Observing : 13:07:00.0
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? : No
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Due to the extreme wind shake on the scope at the time, there
is some lingering doubt about the observation. The mag drop was expected to
be only 1.1 and I even think that may have been a little optimistic. However,
there was a rather dramatic fade step at the time noted above. The star almost
immediately recovered which makes me think that I have seen a very short duration
event - nominally 0.5 second. The fact that it occurred pretty much exactly
when Steve Preston predicted it for this site is comforting.
Occultation of TYC 6856-01519-1 by (1071) Brita - 2005 August 3:
Please refer to the separate Brita results page.
Occultation of TYC 7439-00302-1 by (356) Liguria - 2005 July 17:
Please refer to the separate Liguria results page.
Occultation of 2UCAC 1976 2541 by (1071) Brita - 2005 July 12:
View the Updated Prediction
An uncertain blink was was observed by Clive Rowe in Waddington, NZ. No event was seen by Brian Loader from Darfield.
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Clive Rowe
Aperture (cm) : 33 cm
Focal length (cm) : 150 cm
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtonian) : Newtonian / non-driven equatorial
Magnification : 60 x
Observing site name : Waddington
Longitude (DD MM SS ; East +ve) : +172 02 02
Latitude (DD MM SS ; South -ve) : -43 23 58
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 300
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): Garmin GPS
Height Datum (if known) : _
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Fair
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Good
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.) : Clear frosty night, no wind, faint
ground fog (scattering vertical torchlight)
Time Source (e.g. WWVH, GPS) : WWVH , 10 MHz Cs beam clock crystal
Recording method (e.g. tape) : WWVH tape record count plus stopwatch
Could you see the Asteroid? : No
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 12.0
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
Started Observing : 09:30
Star and Object Merged : na
Disappearance At approx: : 11:53:14 VERY uncertain 1/2 to 1 second blink
Estimated Closest Approach : na
Reappearance At : 11:53:15
: Watch was stopped, reading 4.3 seconds with about 4 sec
: delay to identify possible event
: Uncertain visibility, possible short disappearance
Star and Object Separated :
Stopped Observing : 11:56 (target still visible)
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? :
If YES, state value : >4 second at possible ingress delayed by check on visibility
hence occultation DURATION: 0.5 + 0.5 -0.5 = 0.5 seconds VERY uncertain
If you could tell, in which direction did the asteroid pass relative to
the star (Delete three) : na
If possible, estimate the DISTANCE OF CLOSEST APPROACH in arc seconds: na
List all Interruptions to Observing:
FROM TO REASON
Break 1: 11:50 11:50:10 Check time
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This was (again) a marginal observation as sky had brightened due to local fog
The mirror was cleaned and collimated the previous day and the field was identified the previous night
when the sky was darker (heavy frost, no fog).
Observer's Name : Brian Loader
Aperture (cm) : 25.4
Focal length (cm) : 250
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtonian) : SCT
Magnification : n/a
Observing site name : Darfield
Longitude (DD MM SS ; East +ve) : +172° 06' 24.4" E
Latitude (DD MM SS ; South -ve) : -43° 28' 52.9" S
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 210
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): WGS84
Height Datum (if known) : MSL
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Good
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Good
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.): nil
TIMINGS: (PLEASE REPORT IN UNIVERSAL TIME)
Time Source (e.g. WWVH, GPS) : GPS/KIWI
Recording method (e.g. tape) : VIDEO
Could you see the Asteroid? : no
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 11.5+ on video
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
COLUMN FORMAT TO USE---> __:__:__._ _._ _________________)
Started Observing : 11:49
Stopped Observing : 11:57
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? : n/a
List all Interruptions to Observing: nil
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: no event observed.
Occultation of TYC 0312-00784 by (4672) Takuboku - 2005 June 13:
View the OCCULT Prediction
An approximately 2.7 second occultation was observed from Gore, NZ, by Ross Dickie.
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Ross Dickie
Aperture (cm) : 20
Focal length (cm) : 200
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtownian) : SCT
Magnification : 133x
Observing site name : Gore.
Longitude (East +ve) : 168° 55' 20.7" E
Latitude (South -ve) : -46° 06' 22.4" S
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 81 metres.
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): NZ1949.
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Good
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Good
Time Source (e.g. WWV, VNG) : WWVH 5MHz
Recording method (e.g. tape) : Memorised stopwatch timed to WWVH 5MHz.
Could you see the Asteroid? : NO.
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 13.0
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
Started Observing : 11:49:28
Disappearance At : 11:51:30.4 1.1 sec P.E. (already subtracted)
Reappearance At : 11:51:33.1 0.5 sec P.E. (already subtracted)
Stopped Observing : 11:59:05
Duration : 2.7 sec
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? : YES, to the D and R.
If YES, state value : As mentioned above.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
I noted this occultation event visible from southern NZ on the Section's website. Its predicted
and narrow path was to run vertically through the southern South Island, through Dunedin.
So in good conditions, I routinely monitored this event involving a 9.3 magnitude star in Virgo,
beginning from 11:49 UT. Two minutes later, I noted a disappearance and then timed it with my
running memorised stopwatch. Its reappearance occurred 2.1 seconds later (my P.E.s
unsubtracted), and I continued to monitored the star for 7½ minutes afterward.
My positive event occurred just 21 second after WinOCCULT 3.1.1's predicted time, and its path
has shifted a little to the west than predicted by WinOCCULT 3.1.1.
Occultation of UCAC2 25125430 by (74) Galatea - 2005 June 1:
Please refer to the separate Galatea results page.
Occultation of TYC 7292-01766-1 by (436) Patricia - 2005 May 28:
Please refer to the separate Patricia results page.
Occultation of UCAC2 28565902 by (585) Bilkis - 2005 May 21:
Please refer to the separate Bilkis results page.
Occultation of TYC 5179-00043-1 by (904) Rockefellia - 2005 May 13:
Please refer to the separate Rockefellia results page.
Occultation of TYC 6162-01480-1 by (1961) Dufour - 2005 May 13:
Please refer to the separate Dufour results page.
Occultation of TYC 0882-00712-1 by (521) Brixia - 2005 May 10:
Please refer to the separate Brixia results page.
Occultation of UCAC2 15123091 by (545) Messalina - 2005 May 9:
Please refer to the separate Messalina results page.
Occultation of TYC 7879-02886-1 by (506) Marion - 2005 May 1:
View the Updated Prediction
An approximately 7 second occultation was observed from Waddington, near Christchurch, NZ, by Clive Rowe.
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Clive Rowe
Aperture (cm) : 33 cm
Focal length (cm) : 150 cm
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtonian) : Newtonian / non-driven equatorial
Magnification : 60 x
Observing site name : Waddington
Longitude (DD MM SS ; East +ve) : +172 02 02
Latitude (DD MM SS ; South -ve) : -43 23 58
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 300
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): Garmin GPS
Height Datum (if known) : _
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Good
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Poor
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.): Clear night, light wind
Time Source (e.g. WWVH, GPS) : WWVH
Recording method (e.g. tape) : WWVH aural count plus stopwatch (no tape)
Could you see the Asteroid? : No
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 12
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
COLUMN FORMAT TO USE---> __:__:__._ _._ _________________)
Started Observing : 08:20 Started field identification approx 1 hour prior occ
Star and Object Merged : na (not applicable, asteroid not visible)
Disappearance At : Approx 08:39:20++ (lost count of WWVH time, no tape recorder)
Estimated Closest Approach : na
(if no D/R)
Reappearance At : Short bright peak when watch was stopped: 6.0 seconds
Star and Object Separated :
Stopped Observing : 08:41
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? : Yes
If YES, state value : 1.5 second at ingress delayed by check on visibility by
averted vision, approx 0.5 second delay on egress (bright pulse)
hence occultation:
DURATION: 6.0 + 1.5 -0.5 = 7 seconds. error. est +- 2 seconds
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This was a marginal observation as averted vision was used to see the
target star and this produced additional delays in timing.
Occultation of TYC 4974-00606-1 by (326) Tamara - 2005 April 13:
Please refer to the separate Tamara results page.
Occultation of TYC 1950-00182-1 by (110) Lydia - 2005 April 3:
Please refer to the separate Lydia results page.
Occultation of TYC 6268-00358-1 by (103) Hera - 2005 April 1:
Please refer to the separate Hera results page.
Occultation of TYC 4978-00870-1 by (326) Tamara - 2005 April 1:
Please refer to the separate Tamara results page.
Occultation of TYC 1440-00692-1 by (943) Begonia - 2005 March 25:
View the Updated Prediction
An approximately 7.8 second occultation was observed from Glenlee, Queensland, by Steve Kerr. This observation suggests that the predicted path moved slightly to the north.
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Steve Kerr
Aperture (cm) : 25
Focal length (cm) : 150
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtonian) : Newtonian
Magnification : 83X
Observing site name : Glenlee
Longitude (DD MM SS ; East +ve) : +150 30' 01.4"
Latitude (DD MM SS ; South -ve) : -23 16' 10.1"
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 50
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): WGS 1984
Height Datum (if known) : AHD
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Good
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Poor
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.): Very bright moonlight
Time Source (e.g. WWVH, GPS) : GPS - KIWI
Recording method (e.g. tape) : Stopwatch
Could you see the Asteroid? : No
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 11.5
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
Started Observing : 11:57:00.0
Disappearance At : 11:58:49.3 2.0
Reappearance At : 11:58:57.1 2.0
Stopped Observing : 12:00:00.0
Duration : 7.8 sec
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? : No
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Very severe light pollution from a full moon only
20° away. The star was just observable by averted vision meaning that
events shorter than about 3 seconds would have been missed. Large values
of PE are as a result of simply because it takes a little while to be
confident that what you are seeing isn't the result of flickering at the
edge of visibility. I would normally have used a higher magnification if
star visibility was so marginal but due to the sparse field, tracking would
have been difficult and I would probably have lost the field at some stage.
Occultation of TYC 6859-01202-1 by (144) Vibilia - 2005 March 22:
View the Updated Prediction
An approximately 2.7 second occultation was observed from Brisbane, Queensland, by Peter Anderson.
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Peter Anderson
Aperture (cm) : 41
Focal length (cm) : 245
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtonian) : Newtonian
Magnification : X 198
Observing site name : Taylor Range Observatory
Longitude (East +ve) : 152 56 01.4580
Latitude (South -ve) : -27 27 47.5562
Deflection of the Vertical Meridian: -5.271 Prime Vertical: 3.189
Please note that this astronomical position has been determined by Qld Dept of
Natural Resources and is consistent with the Geodetic Datum of Australia (GDA94).
The physical position of the station has not shifted since establishment in 1980.
(To find the position of the observatory under various datums, refer to my website
www.uq.net.au/~zzpeande and reference the article 'The problem of Position' under
'Articles'.)
Height above Sea level (metres) : 176.3
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Fair
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Fair
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.): Misty haze throughout particularly low in the
direction I was looking. I nearly abandoned it earlier but it cleared up somewhat.
Time Source (e.g. WWVH, VNG) : WWVH
Recording method (e.g. tape) : Stopwatches and tape recorder
Could you see the Asteroid? : No
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 13.5 to 14.5 around time of observing
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
Started Observing : 17 05 00
Disappearance At : 17 07 16.5 0.8sec +0.25/-0.15sec taken by surprise
a bit and very tired
Reappearance At : 17 07 19.2 0.3sec +/- 0.1sec
Stopped Observing : 17 10 00
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? : Yes
If YES, state value : as above
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Times quoted are the times after PE was deducted.
I was constantly worried about cloud and mist in this area, but it worked out well.
I checked the times from the taped comments as well as the stopwatches and they are
in agreement.
Occultation of HIP 82176 by (7) Iris - 2005 February 17:
Please refer to the separate Iris results page.
Occultation of TYC 5428-00622-1 by (771) Libera - 2005 February 16:
Please refer to the separate Libera results page.
Occultation of TYC 0751-01632-1 by (1403) Idelsonia - 2005 January 4:
View the Updated Prediction
An approximately 1.05 second occultation was observed using video from Darfield, NZ by Brian Loader. The predicted path moved south by several track-widths.
Observational Data:
Observer's Name : Brian Loader
Aperture (cm) : 25.4
Focal length (cm) : 250
Type (e.g. SCT; Newtonian) : SCT
Magnification : n/a
Observing site name : Darfield
Longitude (DD MM SS ; East +ve) : +172° 06' 24.4" E
Latitude (DD MM SS ; South -ve) : -43° 28' 52.9" S
Height above Sealevel (metres) : 210
Geodetic Datum (e.g.WGS84,NZ1949): WGS84
Height Datum (if known) : MSL
Sky Transparency (Delete two) : Good
Star Image Stability (Delete two): Fair/Poor
Other Conditions:
(Wind, Clouds, Lights, etc.): nil
Time Source (e.g. WWVH, GPS) : GPS/KIWI
Recording method (e.g. tape) : VIDEO
Could you see the Asteroid? : no
Approx. Limiting Magnitude : 11.5 on video
| Estimated |
Universal Time | Reaction | Accuracy, Remarks
h m s | Time (sec) |
Started Observing : 11:46:20
Disappearance At : 11:49:49.75 n/a +/- 0.07s
Reappearance At : 11:49:50.8 n/a +/- 0.1s
Stopped Observing : 11:51:20
Estimated duration : 1.05s +/- 0.1s
Was your reaction time (also known as Personal Equation) subtracted from
any of the above timings? : n/a
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
An event very close to one second long occurred here. The power of using a video was demonstrated,
in that although I saw the event on screen, I was able to play back many times to confirm and extract times.
The star was too faint to use KIWI/OSD or frame counting. Times had thus to be extracted from video play-back
by watch. The larger error for the reappearance results from a wider spread of time estimates due to tendancy
to anticipate the reappearance being so close to the disappearance.
Darfield was about 2.7 sigma south of the predicted southern edge of the path. The event was also about 4
seconds earlier than the predicted time of closest approach at Darfield, representing a 0.8 sigma difference
in time.
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