Updated: 2008 MAY 22, 03:57 UT
Event Rank : 65
(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 Jun 05 UT, the 58 km diameter asteroid (1323) Tugela will occult a 11.0 mag star in the constellation Virgo for observers along a path slightly to the east of New Zealand (Off Hicks Bay).
In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 3.7 mag to 14.7 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most 7.3 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 178 42 19 -31 35 1 11 28 38 35 293 -78 179 10 43 -31 36 11 178 14 11 -31 33 50 -179 55 43 -31 38 20 177 22 33 -31 31 37 179 19 58 -32 48 10 11 28 52 34 294 -77 179 49 11 -32 49 21 178 51 2 -32 47 0 -179 15 40 -32 51 30 177 57 57 -32 44 46 -179 58 6 -34 2 14 11 29 7 33 294 -77 -179 27 57 -34 3 24 179 32 4 -34 1 3 -178 30 59 -34 5 33 178 37 23 -33 58 49 -179 11 17 -35 17 14 11 29 22 32 294 -76 -178 40 5 -35 18 24 -179 42 8 -35 16 3 -177 41 4 -35 20 32 179 21 21 -35 13 50 -178 18 54 -36 33 15 11 29 36 31 294 -75 -177 46 30 -36 34 25 -178 50 55 -36 32 5 -176 45 8 -36 36 32 -179 49 30 -36 29 52 -177 20 7 -37 50 22 11 29 51 30 294 -74 -176 46 19 -37 51 32 -177 53 28 -37 49 12 -175 42 14 -37 53 38 -178 54 26 -37 47 0 -176 13 50 -39 8 40 11 30 6 28 293 -73 -175 38 25 -39 9 48 -176 48 46 -39 7 30 -174 31 8 -39 11 53 -177 52 30 -39 5 19 -174 58 44 -40 28 12 11 30 20 27 293 -72 -174 21 22 -40 29 20 -175 35 30 -40 27 4 -173 10 16 -40 31 22 -176 42 30 -40 24 54 -173 33 0 -41 49 5 11 30 35 25 292 -71 -172 53 19 -41 50 11 -174 12 0 -41 47 58 -171 37 34 -41 52 9 -175 22 53 -41 45 51
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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