Updated: 2007 MAR 02, 19:35 UT
Event Rank : 42
(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 2007 Mar 21 UT, the 32 km diameter asteroid (292) Ludovica will occult a 11.1 mag star in the constellation Ophiuchus for observers along a path across the South Island of New Zealand from Westport to Christchurch.
In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 3.2 mag to 14.2 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most 2.5 seconds.
This update is based on UNSO/Flagstaff astrometry for the asteroid kindly provided by Alice Monet, 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 Limit1 Path Limit2 Error Limit1 Error Limit2 E. Longitude Latitude U.T. Alt Az Alt o ' " o ' " h m s o o o o ' " o ' " o ' " o ' " o ' " o ' " o ' " o ' " Longitude Latitude Longitude Latitude Longitude Latitude Longitude Latitude 169 3 13 -38 20 6 12 54 56 27 104 -52 169 25 35 -38 20 42 168 40 40 -38 19 22 170 34 26 -38 21 56 167 28 22 -38 16 18 169 43 16 -39 15 45 12 55 4 28 103 -51 170 5 30 -39 16 9 169 20 50 -39 15 14 171 14 3 -39 16 45 168 9 1 -39 12 53 170 21 35 -40 10 40 12 55 11 28 102 -50 170 43 44 -40 10 52 169 59 14 -40 10 21 171 52 4 -40 10 54 168 47 44 -40 8 38 170 58 17 -41 4 54 12 55 18 29 101 -49 171 20 24 -41 4 56 170 35 58 -41 4 46 172 28 39 -41 4 26 169 24 40 -41 3 39 171 33 29 -41 58 33 12 55 26 30 100 -48 171 55 36 -41 58 25 171 11 11 -41 58 34 173 3 52 -41 57 26 169 59 57 -41 58 0 172 7 18 -42 51 40 12 55 33 30 100 -47 172 29 27 -42 51 23 171 44 59 -42 51 51 173 37 50 -42 49 56 170 33 41 -42 51 47 172 39 49 -43 44 19 12 55 40 31 99 -46 173 2 1 -43 43 54 172 17 26 -43 44 38 174 10 36 -43 42 1 171 5 59 -43 45 2 173 11 5 -44 36 32 12 55 48 31 98 -45 173 33 23 -44 35 59 172 48 38 -44 37 0 174 42 15 -44 33 43 171 36 56 -44 37 50 173 41 11 -45 28 23 12 55 55 32 97 -45 174 3 35 -45 27 43 173 18 37 -45 28 58 175 12 50 -45 25 4 172 6 34 -45 30 13 174 10 9 -46 19 55 12 56 3 32 96 -44 174 32 42 -46 19 8 173 47 26 -46 20 37 175 42 24 -46 16 7 172 34 57 -46 22 14
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