Because the Moon moves so fast and is large, it produces the most occultations. The planets, moving more slowly and appearing much smaller, rarely occult any stars bright enough to observe visually. Asteroids are even smaller than the planets, but because there are thousands of them, asteroidal occultations are almost common!
More than any other type of occultation, asteroidal occultations provide the most uncertainty. The positions of the asteroids (and formerly the stars) are not known accurately enough to make detailed predictions about where an occultation will occur. Often, only a general path can be predicted. With enough observers spread across the predicted path, then the asteroid's shadow can be captured! Imagine watching, and waiting, and suddenly the target star disappears: covered by the faint and sometimes invisible asteroid. A few seconds later, the star reappears from behind the asteroid. (With today's CCD cameras and observing programs to measure the positions of the asteroids, updates a few weeks or days before the event can often update the path to within a fraction of the predicted width. Although more precise, the uncertainty still makes the asteroidal occultations an exciting and frustrating event!)
There are only a few asteroids whose size and shape have been measured directly. Most of the known shapes were derived from occultation timings made by amateur astronomers like you and me! It is this scientific value that encourages me to keep trying. So far, my success rate is 5 (or 6?) out of 42 events! See also Occultation Timings on the home page for details on timing events.
The list below is the asteroidal occultations which are "favorable" for the southwestern Pennsylvania area. Favorable means that the long range prediction indicate that the potential error in the prediction could move the path to our area. Occasionally, the occultation path can be updated a few days or weeks prior to the event. Most of the occulted stars are quite faint and require a 6-inch scope or larger.
Note that the list is split into two tables. Table 1 gives the event and observational data. Table 2 gives the coordinates of the target star.
Table 1: Asteroid Occultation Events
Date Star Occ. Time S t a r S u n M o o n 2005 Object SAO # Mag DMag UT Alt. Az. Alt. Az. Elg Alt. Az. Elg %SNL
FEB25 Iphigenia 0 10.3 3.4 2:51 51.5 128.3 -42.4 300 169 34.1 111 21 99- MAR10 Pepita 0 11.5 3.6 4:05 39.9 227.6 -48.8 327 124 -52.8 326 126 0- MAR12 Ani 0 11.6 3.7 0:41 65.0 198.4 -15.9 279 101 4.7 272 79 4+ MAR12 Urania 0 9.9 2.1 4:46 34.2 273.1 -51.4 343 105 -34.7 319 81 4+ MAR15 Vindobona 0 12.0 2.0 1:28 52.8 122.8 -23.8 289 149 32.8 271 90 24+ MAR16 Selinur 0 8.9 4.8 0:40 26.1 119.0 -14.8 281 159 52.6 258 93 33+ MAR18 Seppina 0 11.4 3.1 9:10 34.1 134.7 -25.9 67 88 -11.3 324 156 55+ MAR19 Aegina 0 11.7 1.9 1:20 67.3 235.0 -21.5 289 97 73.3 225 7 62+ MAR20 Nephele 0 12.1 1.8 3:46 46.3 143.5 -43.6 324 177 56.7 256 63 72+ MAR20 Ninina 0 12.3 1.7 10:05 19.3 275.0 -15.3 76 162 -8.0 314 47 74+ MAR22 2002XV93 0 11.5 9.9 3:33 24.5 293.3 -41.4 321 71 67.2 206 67 87+ MAR22 Ornamenta 0 11.9 2.5 10:04 47.2 185.7 -14.9 76 114 1.1 293 101 88+ MAR25 Lilliana 0 11.7 3.6 3:57 22.5 249.7 -43.0 329 98 50.5 155 75 99+ MAR26 Melusina 0 11.9 3.2 3:06 48.1 286.1 -36.8 315 89 34.9 131 94 100- MAR28 Campania 0 10.0 4.0 1:32 55.2 232.5 -21.6 294 93 -3.3 105 113 95- MAR29 Penelope 0 11.9 1.2 9:55 21.2 248.7 -14.2 73 172 23.7 208 38 86- MAR31 Beate 95218 8.1 7.7 1:09 51.7 241.3 -16.9 291 81 -44.1 90 160 72- APR 1 Ohio 113104 8.4 7.2 2:27 25.6 253.3 -29.5 307 76 -41.9 94 156 61- APR 2 Dione 0 11.7 1.7 1:17 46.3 266.0 -17.8 293 69 -65.5 67 158 50- APR 3 Semele 0 10.4 3.5 7:38 40.7 222.0 -34.4 43 174 -7.3 117 106 35- APR 4 Adorea 0 11.5 3.0 2:36 20.9 280.5 -30.1 310 58 -67.0 40 121 27- APR12 Kleopatra 0 11.8 1.1 1:32 46.7 229.3 -18.1 299 90 18.8 286 53 11+ APR12 Stobbe 100088 8.1 6.7 3:04 60.2 139.4 -31.6 320 151 3.4 299 114 12+ APR12 Troilus 0 11.4 5.6 9:14 22.9 315.4 -17.0 62 111 -22.8 16 75 13+ APR19 Bavaria 0 11.4 2.7 7:36 28.7 247.3 -29.1 40 156 10.9 282 37 75+ APR20 Wilhelmina 0 10.2 4.5 4:06 21.4 130.9 -35.2 338 152 52.0 228 77 82+ MAY 1 2001KH76 0 10.412.8 7:04 26.1 172.7 -28.8 30 147 0.0 120 57 50- MAY 4 2001XQ254 0 11.911.1 2:18 30.2 274.9 -20.0 314 63 -55.4 8 116 20- MAY30 Bredichina 186978 9.5 3.3 6:03 24.5 160.0 -26.7 12 151 -1.1 106 58 53- JUN 4 Sulamitis 0 10.4 4.8 2:56 19.7 282.7 -18.9 326 57 -32.6 359 90 8- JUN 5 Ornamenta 0 11.6 2.3 7:39 26.4 242.0 -18.7 34 153 -8.6 51 159 3- JUN21 Xanthippe 0 10.4 3.8 6:53 26.0 99.5 -22.5 23 89 14.2 213 104 99+ JUN29 2000QB243 0 12.2 9.5 8:23 38.5 163.3 -13.6 42 123 32.8 114 40 44- JUL12 Kallisto 127194 8.1 4.4 8:20 49.6 189.5 -15.3 42 137 -41.7 333 154 28+ JUL13 Misa 0 10.9 4.3 6:39 22.6 96.9 -25.2 19 89 -27.4 295 163 36+ JUL20 Clarissa 0 11.9 2.8 4:16 20.3 186.8 -26.7 342 156 21.3 182 5 97+ JUL28 Amaryllis 0 11.7 3.0 2:01 34.2 194.9 -13.8 311 119 -21.2 47 149 50- JUL29 Kobresia 76345 7.5 9.3 9:13 43.1 91.8 -10.6 54 64 49.0 106 11 37- AUG 1 Fraternita 0 10.7 2.6 4:06 23.6 162.3 -28.6 339 174 -16.9 25 140 14- AUG11 Gudrun 0 11.7 2.7 7:44 33.4 69.8 -25.4 38 66 -51.5 311 133 32+ AUG21 Velleda 0 11.9 0.8 6:01 39.4 170.6 -36.5 12 163 42.1 165 5 97- AUG24 Mathilde 0 11.9 1.9 2:06 33.6 196.1 -21.4 307 119 -1.6 72 119 76- AUG26 Eva 0 10.9 2.0 7:01 15.2 92.3 -34.0 30 77 40.5 92 25 53- AUG30 Pompeja 0 10.2 3.7 3:18 18.8 204.9 -33.1 324 124 -19.3 19 174 18- SEP 2 Hylonome 0 13.5 7.9 0:44 21.3 226.5 -10.7 290 70 -13.8 310 89 3- SEP 8 Kirkwood 0 8.9 7.1 9:40 51.0 103.2 -14.1 70 71 -61.3 38 124 20+ SEP 9 Irmgard 0 11.3 4.9 8:40 72.1 103.8 -24.6 58 101 -69.1 338 163 28+ SEP20 Veritas 0 11.6 2.6 9:39 48.6 119.4 -16.8 74 77 46.1 241 72 93- SEP24 Achilles 0 11.9 5.2 0:19 15.6 201.6 -13.2 281 84 -15.3 30 172 62- SEP25 Asterope 0 11.3 1.9 0:06 32.9 194.5 -11.1 279 91 -19.1 16 166 53- SEP25 Juewa 0 11.4 1.9 7:21 29.1 70.6 -40.6 45 74 41.3 85 17 50- SEP29 Seppina 0 12.0 2.5 1:51 25.6 235.9 -31.4 297 82 -29.4 354 126 17- SEP29 1995 SM55 0 14.1 6.6 7:56 66.4 218.9 -36.4 56 148 6.9 71 103 15- SEP29 Christine 0 10.8 3.6 9:07 54.8 129.5 -24.4 71 94 19.4 82 50 15- OCT 6 Danae 0 11.8 1.0 9:01 77.3 291.6 -27.0 72 126 -59.6 55 155 9+ OCT 8 Oulu 0 11.0 5.3 5:39 61.2 120.1 -54.5 14 142 -48.1 274 160 23+ OCT 8 Euryanthe 0 11.7 3.8 6:55 32.3 96.2 -47.7 42 93 -61.7 290 149 24+ OCT 8 Toni 0 11.1 2.7 7:29 54.8 147.4 -42.9 52 126 -67.3 300 162 24+ OCT19 Astraea 0 12.2 0.9 0:03 30.0 182.2 -17.7 272 99 10.1 74 101 97- OCT21 Proserpina 187937 9.7 3.0 0:48 17.2 210.1 -26.6 279 80 4.7 58 144 86- OCT23 Carlova 0 10.5 2.2 4:53 31.3 204.3 -60.7 355 145 28.5 76 103 67- OCT23 Thia 0 11.1 2.5 10:20 66.8 164.9 -15.7 92 98 77.2 193 13 65- OCT25 Alma 60082 8.3 6.5 9:19 73.1 116.1 -27.5 82 103 55.7 109 18 47- OCT29 Hecuba 0 11.6 1.8 7:18 72.5 212.6 -49.9 57 155 -9.1 76 112 14- NOV 2 1998WU31 0 13.110.2 9:18 51.3 250.1 -29.4 84 156 -34.0 86 159 0+ NOV 3 Doris 0 11.8 1.3 1:46 28.6 216.7 -40.4 286 95 -35.8 271 82 1+ NOV 3 Johanna 0 11.1 1.6 3:54 47.4 89.8 -60.5 325 146 -58.8 297 160 1+ NOV 4 Eukrate 0 12.4 1.0 23:48 20.3 183.9 -18.7 265 89 -0.3 233 52 10+ NOV 7 Aurelia 0 12.1 0.9 2:48 57.8 144.6 -52.1 300 165 -8.6 241 101 28+ NOV 8 Hamburga 0 11.9 2.0 3:40 45.3 203.1 -60.0 317 140 -5.3 243 62 39+ NOV11 Sirona 110124 10.3 2.0 5:01 53.5 213.0 -66.8 359 159 19.1 242 41 73+ NOV11 Johanna 0 11.2 1.4 7:48 71.7 236.8 -47.7 69 155 -9.9 270 84 75+ NOV15 Dike 0 11.5 3.0 7:48 84.0 199.5 -48.6 70 142 41.4 259 46 99+ NOV16 Gallia 0 11.5 0.9 9:44 41.6 194.2 -27.0 92 116 32.6 274 62 100- NOV17 Dike 0 11.4 3.1 4:24 53.4 83.3 -66.7 335 144 65.4 119 21 98- NOV18 Nemesis 0 11.7 1.5 6:09 18.0 82.3 -64.5 38 89 74.0 138 64 94- NOV18 Josephina 0 11.7 1.6 8:24 65.6 260.7 -42.6 79 157 69.1 240 9 94- NOV21 Christine 0 11.2 2.3 3:43 33.3 99.5 -62.9 314 143 19.1 73 28 75- NOV22 Leopoldina 0 11.3 2.4 0:45 20.2 123.9 -31.6 270 147 -17.1 38 92 67- NOV23 Juvisia 41416 9.3 5.4 3:55 46.3 56.5 -64.8 318 134 0.4 67 47 57- NOV23 Limpopo 127954 7.9 7.7 23:09 53.1 153.4 -13.9 255 108 -35.4 354 157 50- NOV30 Amherstia 0 11.0 2.3 0:06 24.0 56.3 -24.7 262 157 -40.4 278 141 3- NOV30 Bower 0 10.4 3.3 11:20 25.5 298.1 -11.7 109 164 -0.5 119 155 2- DEC 1 Laurentia 0 11.9 1.4 5:05 70.8 212.3 -71.2 358 169 -73.4 19 175 0- DEC 1 Dike 58354 8.9 5.2 10:15 44.6 284.2 -23.7 99 159 -23.2 104 159 0- DEC 3 Euryanthe 0 11.7 3.0 3:18 32.9 96.7 -60.2 300 149 -48.3 271 164 3+ DEC 5 Loreley 0 11.4 1.6 9:42 52.0 273.1 -30.7 94 159 -70.1 37 149 18+ DEC11 Brucia 0 10.5 1.8 11:03 40.8 262.3 -16.5 106 148 -25.5 316 83 81+ DEC12 2000CG105 0 12.011.3 7:39 53.2 134.2 -54.7 72 120 19.1 277 101 88+ DEC15 Irmintraud 0 11.8 2.1 23:25 23.3 52.2 -16.9 253 159 17.3 67 15 100- DEC18 Olga 0 11.2 3.0 3:13 19.8 104.5 -59.1 295 140 37.4 86 24 94- DEC19 Andromache 0 11.0 2.1 9:34 40.8 273.9 -33.9 93 173 65.6 226 36 87- DEC20 Amalthea 0 11.0 1.2 8:02 58.3 235.3 -51.4 76 166 64.2 146 40 81- DEC24 2000YX1 0 11.212.1 2:53 69.4 171.7 -55.1 288 149 -29.9 64 124 47- DEC24 Melete 0 10.4 3.0 10:42 37.5 244.8 -21.8 103 144 43.5 159 62 44- DEC25 Irmintraud 0 11.4 2.4 4:01 79.1 73.5 -66.3 311 160 -29.5 74 109 37- DEC27 Huya 0 11.7 7.9 9:47 25.6 119.1 -32.2 94 62 7.4 124 19 17- DEC29 Hekate 0 10.6 2.5 3:18 47.8 225.2 -58.9 295 121 -75.7 356 146 5- DEC31 Lilaea 128805 8.2 5.8 2:18 28.3 235.1 -47.8 280 86 -50.7 274 86 0- DEC31 Eugenisis 0 11.9 2.2 5:59 59.9 152.6 -70.7 27 156 -75.9 28 155 0+
where
Table 2: Asteroid Occultation Target Star Positions
Date R. A. (J2000) Dec. 2005 Object SAO# h m s o ' "
Feb 25 112 Iphigenia 0 9 51 53.70 +12 30 10.6 Mar 10 1102 Pepita 0 7 39 18.75 + 1 26 51.7 Mar 12 791 Ani 0 6 9 13.05 +16 37 31.8 Mar 12 30 Urania 0 6 28 48.22 +23 35 4.6 Mar 15 231 Vindobona 0 9 47 2.03 +15 41 15.7 Mar 16 500 Selinur 0 10 23 6.05 - 2 29 31.2 Mar 18 483 Seppina 0 17 59 54.91 - 4 25 27.7 Mar 19 91 Aegina 0 6 25 35.87 +25 38 21.8 Mar 20 431 Nephele 0 11 55 34.13 + 2 53 7.9 Mar 20 357 Ninina 0 11 25 12.90 +16 7 1.6 Mar 22 90012 2002XV93 0 4 35 2.46 +32 52 15.0 Mar 22 350 Ornamenta 0 16 29 1.61 - 2 3 41.4 Mar 25 756 Lilliana 0 6 48 17.70 + 0 21 52.5 Mar 26 373 Melusina 0 6 20 29.95 +38 41 39.3 Mar 28 377 Campania 0 6 42 49.64 +15 40 46.3 Mar 29 201 Penelope 0 13 2 11.63 - 1 13 14.7 Mar 31 1043 Beate 95218 6 5 33.99 +16 32 46.1 Apr 1 439 Ohio 113104 5 45 21.38 + 4 50 56.0 Apr 2 106 Dione 0 5 19 29.01 +25 43 49.7 Apr 3 86 Semele 0 13 4 30.33 - 0 6 2.2 Apr 4 268 Adorea 0 4 46 4.23 +21 11 9.2 Apr 12 216 Kleopatra 0 7 27 40.92 + 7 45 0.4 Apr 12 1847 Stobbe 100088 12 24 54.45 +16 11 41.5 Apr 12 1208 Troilus 0 10 31 13.70 +48 45 49.5 Apr 19 301 Bavaria 0 12 30 31.49 + 3 13 34.7 Apr 20 392 Wilhelmina 0 15 44 52.29 -13 0 10.6 May 1 90006 2001KH76 0 16 50 47.73 -22 57 53.6 May 4 90008 2001XQ254 0 7 11 58.43 +22 32 1.6 May 30 786 Bredichina 186978 18 33 47.25 -22 16 6.6 Jun 4 752 Sulamitis 0 8 57 29.98 +22 6 9.9 Jun 5 350 Ornamenta 0 15 46 10.26 - 1 41 50.5 Jun 21 156 Xanthippe 0 23 48 29.57 + 9 52 21.3 Jun 29 90016 2000QB243 0 22 26 25.93 - 9 26 49.2 Jul 12 204 Kallisto 127194 21 57 53.08 + 0 36 0.8 Jul 13 569 Misa 0 1 18 21.02 + 9 31 35.8 Jul 20 302 Clarissa 0 18 19 59.43 -28 46 16.5 Jul 28 1085 Amaryllis 0 16 14 39.87 -13 57 48.5 Jul 29 1233 Kobresia 76345 3 57 11.83 +25 16 58.1 Aug 1 309 Fraternita 0 20 37 8.51 -23 41 8.1 Aug 11 328 Gudrun 0 4 39 14.47 +35 12 54.9 Aug 21 126 Velleda 0 23 9 53.28 - 9 33 44.2 Aug 24 253 Mathilde 0 18 1 19.07 -14 18 7.1 Aug 26 164 Eva 0 5 8 14.25 + 8 7 17.8 Aug 30 203 Pompeja 0 18 47 5.48 -26 15 2.8 Sep 2 10370 Hylonome 0 15 13 27.02 -14 30 40.9 Sep 8 1578 Kirkwood 0 6 18 57.56 +23 23 28.6 Sep 9 591 Irmgard 0 4 0 0.34 +34 18 18.0 Sep 20 490 Veritas 0 6 43 11.64 +14 2 9.1 Sep 24 588 Achilles 0 17 34 44.99 -30 17 0.7 Sep 25 233 Asterope 0 18 12 35.53 -15 13 8.7 Sep 25 139 Juewa 0 7 28 57.63 +32 26 42.5 Sep 29 483 Seppina 0 17 49 28.09 - 5 51 11.2 Sep 29 24835 1995 SM55 0 2 7 19.54 +21 6 24.9 Sep 29 628 Christine 0 6 10 20.67 +14 43 8.8 Oct 6 61 Danae 0 3 36 19.49 +44 7 59.8 Oct 8 1512 Oulu 0 3 15 32.74 +22 46 7.5 Oct 8 527 Euryanthe 0 6 48 14.56 +16 11 23.4 Oct 8 924 Toni 0 4 31 26.23 + 9 21 56.3 Oct 19 5 Astraea 0 20 26 12.03 -19 20 5.7 Oct 21 26 Proserpina 187937 19 18 17.47 -25 49 36.2 Oct 23 360 Carlova 0 0 15 37.67 -14 38 9.9 Oct 23 405 Thia 0 7 33 12.28 +18 1 24.6 Oct 25 390 Alma 60082 7 26 57.08 +31 45 3.1 Oct 29 108 Hecuba 0 3 48 28.16 +25 22 25.6 Nov 2 69990 1998WU31 0 4 10 26.67 +20 15 55.8 Nov 3 48 Doris 0 21 6 15.78 -12 50 54.0 Nov 3 127 Johanna 0 4 47 6.86 +28 46 18.7 Nov 4 247 Eukrate 0 21 9 39.21 -29 1 36.1 Nov 7 419 Aurelia 0 1 48 7.00 +12 44 51.3 Nov 8 449 Hamburga 0 0 26 33.23 - 1 37 52.9 Nov 11 116 Sirona 110124 1 46 51.55 + 8 16 8.1 Nov 11 127 Johanna 0 4 41 0.59 +29 8 45.6 Nov 15 99 Dike 0 5 56 44.89 +34 56 31.8 Nov 16 148 Gallia 0 7 24 42.28 - 6 44 19.7 Nov 17 99 Dike 0 5 55 27.59 +35 5 51.9 Nov 18 128 Nemesis 0 10 2 43.70 +17 23 20.9 Nov 18 303 Josephina 0 4 58 23.96 +32 51 53.1 Nov 21 628 Christine 0 6 18 34.18 +14 37 58.1 Nov 22 893 Leopoldina 0 2 59 9.51 - 9 58 13.5 Nov 23 605 Juvisia 41416 6 54 13.38 +49 28 22.4 Nov 23 1490 Limpopo 127954 23 4 57.88 + 6 31 2.5 Nov 30 516 Amherstia 0 5 28 43.61 +40 30 33.3 Nov 30 1639 Bower 0 4 52 39.53 +37 4 58.0 Dec 1 162 Laurentia 0 3 42 20.09 +23 46 55.7 Dec 1 99 Dike 58354 5 42 41.48 +36 8 59.4 Dec 3 527 Euryanthe 0 6 48 14.56 +16 11 23.4 Dec 5 165 Loreley 0 6 12 22.73 +32 35 44.9 Dec 11 323 Brucia 0 7 31 56.56 +20 21 3.6 Dec 12 90004 2000CG105 0 9 28 14.86 +11 49 23.9 Dec 15 773 Irmintraud 0 6 5 30.23 +43 15 7.5 Dec 18 304 Olga 0 8 4 19.92 + 2 26 51.5 Dec 19 175 Andromache 0 6 13 35.86 +27 43 45.7 Dec 20 113 Amalthea 0 6 50 9.25 +19 5 2.4 Dec 24 90005 2000YX1 0 3 57 29.87 +20 12 43.6 Dec 24 56 Melete 0 8 28 51.89 + 8 3 7.1 Dec 25 773 Irmintraud 0 5 54 25.59 +42 51 27.4 Dec 27 38628 Huya 0 14 20 27.18 - 2 54 42.4 Dec 29 100 Hekate 0 2 34 11.13 + 7 1 12.8 Dec 31 213 Lilaea 128805 0 31 31.59 - 4 16 57.3 Dec 31 743 Eugenisis 0 8 14 11.19 +13 0 37.5
where
Other Asteroidal Occultation Links:
| John Holtz' Occultation Updates | gives finder charts for the better asteroidal occultations visible from the Pittsburgh area (generally when the predicted path is within 0.5 arcseconds of our area). |
| IOTA's Asteroidal Occultations | complete set of events, finder charts, and path updates (currently, links to Steve Preston's Updates page). |
| Steve Preston's Updates | extensive list of path updates with maps and text data (latitude and longitude of the limits). |
| David Dunham's Upcoming Events | miscellaneous notes on occultations and video timing, and occasional astrometric updates on events |
Occultations and Transits SIG pages
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