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Updated: 2021 Mar 17, 03:36 UT
Event Rank : 99
(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 2021 Apr 06 UT, the 72 km diameter asteroid (429) Lotis will occult a 11.5 mag star in the constellation Sextans for observers along a path across New Zealand, passing over Christchurch and Nelson.
In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 3.15 mag to 14.59 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most 10.0 seconds.
This update is based on, astrometry for the asteroid kindly provided by the IAU Minor Planet Center. This work has made use of data from the European Space Agency (ESA) mission Gaia (http://www.cosmos.esa.int/gaia), processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC, http://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dpac/consortium). Funding for the DPAC has been provided by national institutions, in particular the institutions participating in the Gaia Multilateral Agreement.
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.
Occultation of UCAC4 452-048061 by 429 Lotis on 2021 Apr 6
Centre Star Star Sun Path Limits Error Limits Alt
E. Longitude Latitude U.T. Alt Az Alt Limit 1 Limit 2 Limit 3 Limit 4 Crn
o ' " o ' " h m s o o o o ' " o ' " o ' " o ' "
Longitude Longitude Longitude Longitude
173 10 52 -44 0 0 7 41 11.5 39 38 -17 173 46 44 172 34 47 174 3 7 172 18 11 0.86
173 1 37 -43 0 0 7 41 24.2 40 39 -17 173 36 57 172 26 5 173 53 5 172 9 44 0.86
172 51 20 -42 0 0 7 41 37.1 40 40 -17 173 26 10 172 16 19 173 42 4 172 0 12 0.85
172 40 4 -41 0 0 7 41 50.2 41 40 -18 173 14 25 172 5 31 173 30 6 171 49 38 0.85
172 27 50 -40 0 0 7 42 3.5 42 41 -18 173 1 44 171 53 45 173 17 13 171 38 3 0.85
172 14 40 -39 0 0 7 42 16.9 43 42 -17 172 48 10 171 41 1 173 3 27 171 25 31 0.85
172 0 37 -38 0 0 7 42 30.6 43 43 -17 172 33 43 171 27 21 172 48 50 171 12 2 0.85
171 45 41 -37 0 0 7 42 44.5 44 44 -17 172 18 25 171 12 48 172 33 22 170 57 39 0.85
171 29 55 -36 0 0 7 42 58.5 44 45 -17 172 2 18 170 57 21 172 17 5 170 42 23 0.85
171 13 18 -35 0 0 7 43 12.7 45 46 -17 171 45 21 170 41 4 172 0 0 170 26 14 0.85
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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