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Updated: 2008 JAN 02, 23:02 UT
Event Rank : 25
(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 2008 Jan 04 UT, the 10 km diameter asteroid (1727) Mette will occult a 7.8 mag star in the constellation Hydra for observers along a narrow path across central Western Australia.
In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 6.4 mag to 14.2 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most only 1.2 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: .
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
124 42 44 -37 0 0 15 32 16 40 45 -30 124 47 8 124 38 20 125 10 52 124 14 27
124 41 13 -36 0 0 15 32 27 41 45 -31 124 45 34 124 36 52 125 8 59 124 13 18
124 38 36 -35 0 0 15 32 38 42 46 -32 124 42 54 124 34 18 125 6 2 124 11 1
124 34 55 -34 0 0 15 32 49 42 47 -33 124 39 10 124 30 40 125 2 2 124 7 40
124 30 13 -33 0 0 15 33 0 43 47 -34 124 34 25 124 26 1 124 57 2 124 3 15
124 24 31 -32 0 0 15 33 11 44 48 -35 124 28 40 124 20 21 124 51 4 123 57 50
124 17 51 -31 0 0 15 33 23 44 49 -36 124 21 58 124 13 44 124 44 9 123 51 26
124 10 15 -30 0 0 15 33 35 45 50 -37 124 14 20 124 6 10 124 36 18 123 44 4
124 1 44 -29 0 0 15 33 47 45 51 -38 124 5 47 123 57 41 124 27 34 123 35 47
123 52 20 -28 0 0 15 33 58 46 52 -39 123 56 20 123 48 19 124 17 57 123 26 35
123 42 3 -27 0 0 15 34 11 47 52 -40 123 46 1 123 38 3 124 7 28 123 16 29
123 30 54 -26 0 0 15 34 23 47 53 -41 123 34 51 123 26 56 123 56 9 123 5 31
123 18 54 -25 0 0 15 34 35 48 54 -42 123 22 50 123 14 58 123 44 0 122 53 41
123 6 4 -24 0 0 15 34 48 48 56 -43 123 9 59 123 2 10 123 31 1 122 41 0
122 52 25 -23 0 0 15 35 0 48 57 -44 122 56 18 122 48 32 123 17 14 122 27 29
122 37 57 -22 0 0 15 35 13 49 58 -45 122 41 49 122 34 4 123 2 38 122 13 8
122 22 39 -21 0 0 15 35 26 49 59 -46 122 26 30 122 18 48 122 47 15 121 57 57
122 6 33 -20 0 0 15 35 38 50 60 -47 122 10 23 122 2 43 122 31 3 121 41 56
121 49 38 -19 0 0 15 35 51 50 61 -48 121 53 28 121 45 49 122 14 4 121 25 6
121 31 55 -18 0 0 15 36 4 50 63 -49 121 35 44 121 28 6 121 56 16 121 7 27
121 13 23 -17 0 0 15 36 17 50 64 -50 121 17 11 121 9 35 121 37 41 120 48 58
120 54 2 -16 0 0 15 36 31 51 65 -51 120 57 50 120 50 14 121 18 18 120 29 39
120 33 52 -15 0 0 15 36 44 51 66 -52 120 37 39 120 30 4 120 58 5 120 9 31
120 12 52 -14 0 0 15 36 57 51 68 -53 120 16 39 120 9 4 120 37 5 119 48 32
119 51 1 -13 0 0 15 37 11 51 69 -54 119 54 49 119 47 14 120 15 14 119 26 41
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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