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Updated: 2006 FEB 15, 05:20 UT
Event Rank : 98
(The event Rank is a measure of the likelihood of observing an event, and is equal to the probability of at least one successful observation by a team of two observers spaced 1/8 path width just inside opposite sides of the predicted path. An event rank of 100 indicates that the prediction is expected to be very accurate).
THE UPDATED PATH
Note: The duration given in the line below is the interval during which the occultation shadow sweeps across the Earth - please see the minute markers on the map to determine the approximate time for your location.
On 2006 Feb 22 UT, the 86 km diameter asteroid (202) Chryseis will occult a 9.1 mag star in the constellation Virgo for observers along a path across the south western end of the South Island of New Zealand, passing directly over Invercargill and some 10 minutes later near Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.
In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 2.9 mag to 11.9 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most 11.4 seconds.
This update is based on UNSO/Flagstaff astrometry for the asteroid kindly provided by Ron Stone, historical astrometry from the MPC files (via AstDys), and the following catalogs for the star position: UCAC.
Additional details of this and other events are available at Steve Preston's website at http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/
EVENT DETAILS SUMMARY :Important Note regarding Accuracy:
The uncertainty interval in path widths given above (and shown as a 1-sigma uncertainty ellipse on the plot) refers to RMS deviation and is applied as a +/- range. In other words, a path uncertainty of 1.0 path widths means that the actual center of the asteroid's shadow path should fall within plus or minus 1 path width of the plotted path center. However path errors larger than 1 sigma have been observed so observers should be alert for primary occultations within plus or minus 3 sigma of the updated path.
Further, almost all asteroidal satellites discovered so far have been found within 10 diameters of the asteroid (since this distance is deep enough within the gravitational well to be stable over long timescales). Therefore, if monitoring for secondary events, observing out to about 10 path-widths either side of the predicted track remains worthwhile.
We therefore recommend that you monitor for events if your observing location is up to +/- 10 path-widths from the predicted track. If not monitoring for occultations by secondary bodies you should observe from locations within 3 sigma of the nominal path.
In terms of time, the predictions are now usually accurate to about +/- 0.3 minute so you should be most attentive during the predicted minute of the event. However if intending to catch a potential satellite occultation you should start observing at least 10 times the predicted central duration before the predicted closest approach time for your location, and continue for a similar period afterwards.
Centre Star Star Sun Path Limits Error Limits
E. Longitude Latitude U.T. Alt Az Alt Limit 1 Limit 2 Limit 3 Limit 4
o ' " o ' " h m s o o o o ' " o ' " o ' " o ' "
Longitude Longitude Longitude Longitude
168 29 19 -47 0 0 12 23 15 25 53 -32 169 31 16 167 26 8 170 15 8 166 39 48
168 38 11 -46 0 0 12 23 26 26 53 -33 169 38 49 167 36 23 170 21 46 166 51 5
168 44 20 -45 0 0 12 23 38 27 53 -34 169 43 45 167 43 47 170 25 52 166 59 26
168 47 55 -44 0 0 12 23 50 27 54 -35 169 46 14 167 48 30 170 27 35 167 5 1
168 49 5 -43 0 0 12 24 2 28 54 -36 169 46 24 167 50 43 170 27 3 167 8 0
168 47 57 -42 0 0 12 24 15 29 54 -37 169 44 21 167 50 33 170 24 23 167 8 32
168 44 40 -41 0 0 12 24 27 29 55 -38 169 40 13 167 48 7 170 19 40 167 6 45
Use these links for further information:
[Planetary Occultations]
[Using the Predictions]
[Observing Details]
[Timing Details]
[Reporting Details]
[Report Form]
[Asteroid Occultation Results]
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