|
|
Updated: 2008 JAN 02, 23:14 UT
Event Rank : 14
(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 05 UT, the 15 km diameter asteroid (3332) Raksha will occult a 9.5 mag star in the constellation Cetus for observers along a narrow, significant uncertainty path across southern Western Australia, low in the west.
In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 6.7 mag to 16.2 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most a brief 0.9 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
115 54 46 -37 19 46 15 54 23 18 274 -30 115 38 42 -37 18 16 116 11 2 -37 21 15 113 18 18 -37 3 12 118 52 34 -37 33 29
116 15 29 -36 51 6 15 54 27 18 273 -30 115 59 19 -36 49 38 116 31 52 -36 52 32 113 38 10 -36 34 53 119 14 50 -37 4 21
116 37 14 -36 22 25 15 54 30 17 273 -31 116 20 55 -36 20 59 116 53 44 -36 23 49 113 58 52 -36 6 34 119 38 25 -36 35 10
117 0 1 -35 53 42 15 54 34 17 273 -31 116 43 34 -35 52 19 117 16 42 -35 55 4 114 20 25 -35 38 16 120 3 22 -36 5 56
117 23 55 -35 24 58 15 54 37 17 272 -32 117 7 17 -35 23 38 117 40 47 -35 26 17 114 42 53 -35 9 57 120 29 49 -35 36 37
117 49 0 -34 56 12 15 54 41 16 272 -32 117 32 10 -34 54 55 118 6 4 -34 57 27 115 6 16 -34 41 38 120 57 50 -35 7 12
118 15 19 -34 27 22 15 54 44 16 271 -33 117 58 15 -34 26 8 118 32 39 -34 28 34 115 30 39 -34 13 17 121 27 36 -34 37 41
118 42 59 -33 58 28 15 54 48 16 271 -33 118 25 38 -33 57 17 119 0 36 -33 59 36 115 56 3 -33 44 54 121 59 16 -34 8 0
119 12 4 -33 29 28 15 54 51 15 271 -34 118 54 24 -33 28 22 119 30 1 -33 30 33 116 22 33 -33 16 28 122 33 4 -33 38 9
119 42 43 -33 0 22 15 54 55 15 270 -34 119 24 42 -32 59 20 120 1 4 -33 1 22 116 50 14 -32 47 59 123 9 14 -33 8 4
120 15 5 -32 31 8 15 54 58 14 270 -35 119 56 38 -32 30 10 120 33 53 -32 32 3 117 19 10 -32 19 26 123 48 8 -32 37 43
120 49 20 -32 1 44 15 55 2 14 269 -35 120 30 23 -32 0 52 121 8 39 -32 2 34 117 49 27 -31 50 47 124 30 12 -32 7 2
121 25 41 -31 32 9 15 55 5 13 269 -36 121 6 9 -31 31 22 121 45 38 -31 32 52 118 21 11 -31 22 1 125 16 4 -31 35 55
122 4 26 -31 2 19 15 55 9 13 268 -36 121 44 12 -31 1 40 122 25 7 -31 2 55 118 54 32 -30 53 7 126 6 35 -31 4 15
122 45 55 -30 32 12 15 55 12 12 268 -37 122 24 51 -30 31 40 123 7 30 -30 32 39 119 29 40 -30 24 4 127 3 3 -30 31 51
123 30 36 -30 1 43 15 55 16 12 268 -37 123 8 31 -30 1 21 123 53 17 -30 2 0 120 6 45 -29 54 50 128 7 31 -29 58 26
124 19 7 -29 30 48 15 55 19 11 267 -38 123 55 46 -29 30 37 124 43 12 -29 30 52 120 46 4 -29 25 22 129 23 47 -29 23 27
125 12 21 -28 59 18 15 55 22 10 267 -38 124 47 23 -28 59 22 125 38 14 -28 59 6 121 27 55 -28 55 38 131 0 19 -28 45 45
126 11 36 -28 27 2 15 55 26 9 266 -39 125 44 29 -28 27 26 126 39 57 -28 26 29 122 12 43 -28 25 34 133 28 34 -28 0 56
127 19 1 -27 53 43 15 55 29 8 265 -39 126 48 51 -27 54 33 127 50 56 -27 52 39 123 0 59 -27 55 5 ... .. .. .. .. ..
128 38 25 -27 18 49 15 55 33 7 265 -40 128 3 30 -27 20 20 129 16 11 -27 16 55 123 53 28 -27 24 6 ... .. .. .. .. ..
130 18 18 -26 41 8 15 55 36 5 264 -40 129 34 35 -26 43 53 131 8 10 -26 37 32 124 51 13 -26 52 27 ... .. .. .. .. ..
132 49 21 -25 56 25 15 55 40 3 263 -41 131 39 27 -26 2 49 134 47 37 -25 43 18 125 55 51 -26 19 54 ... .. .. .. .. ..
Use these links for further information:
[Planetary Occultations]
[Using the Predictions]
[Observing Details]
[Timing Details]
[Reporting Details]
[Report Form]
[Asteroid Occultation Results]
[Top of Page][Return to Home Page]