wpo
- asteroids
Solar system
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tracker
2005 Dec - 2006 Jan: A
series of observations of four brighter asteroids in the winter sky via
DSLR on a simple tracker [left] eg
Parthenope + Psyche in Hyades [+ 30cm LX200 shows
motion over 63 min = BAA PoW 05 Jan 16]; Vesta in Gemini; Juno in
Orion using www.heavens-above.com
data/charts.
2004 Jan 29: MP 508 Polyxo mag 12.7 occulted SAO 94989 [mag 7.4] from Scotland ~23.12UT but appulse from Worcester Park-Surrey.
Image below is a composite of three 60s exposures over 24 hours showing motion of Polyxo passing above [north] of star.
2003
Feb 13: During
the early evening of Thursday, February 13, a bright star (SAO 134182,
V=9.0) will be occulted by the minor planet, (663) Gerlinde as seen from
a large part of the UK and from part of Europe and elsewhere.
The asteroid is about 4.7 mag (i.e. almost 100 times) fainter than the
star. The actual shadow track as it crosses the UK will subtend a width
of ~150 km and given the uncertainty in the position of the track, the
occultation could be witnessed by observers anywhere in England (except
Cornwall), southern Scotland, northern Ireland and northern parts of Eire.
R.Miles - AD-ARPS
From WPO the star and MP recorded [30cm f/6.3
SCT + MX9 CCD] an hour before the event but star lost to view in increasing
cloud 10 minutes before occultation centred ~19.49UT. The animation
shows MP's motion over 10 minutes at 2003 Feb 13 18.44[20s exp] & 18.54UT[60s
exp].
2002 Sept 1/2: Pallas on meridian in Delphinus via Minolta D7 at full zoom [400mm efl f/3.5; 30s] piggybacked on Meade SCT records K/M type red stars to mag11 [Megastar].
1999 Oct 2: Occultation of mag 15 asteroid [MP 2959 =Scholl] predicted for UK this evening at 21.03UT with bright mag 7.1 star HIP 1755. Conditions were near perfect at Worcester Park under clear skies. I observed in comfort on two CCD monitors using a wide-angle lens [135mm + SXF CCD] and 30cm LX200 SCT [2000mm +ST7e CCD] but no 'event' seen. Apparently a dozen observers in UK and Eire were equally unlucky. Image below [merge of three timed images] taken later when Scholl emerged from glare of the star. Projected the asteroid track backwards across the star shows [as predicted] the track passed to the north with a mid-timed appulse from WPO at 21.03UT- spot on for prediction time.