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ASTROMETRIC UPDATE:
OCCULTATION BY (124) ALKESTE - 2003 JUN 24

[Edwin Goffin's Prediction + Finder Charts]


UPDATE: 2003 MAY 23, 17:57 UT

THE UPDATED PATH

Alkeste Update Map

On the evening of 2003 Jun 24 UT, the 76 km diameter asteroid (124) Alkeste will occult beta Virginis, a 3.6 mag star in the constellation Virgo for observers along a path across Australia and New Zealand.

A number of very detailed maps have been kindly prepared by Steve Preston showing the nominal path limits and the 1-sigma path limits across the areas covered by this event. Click below to see these additional maps.

  • Western Australia
  • South Australia
  • Victoria
  • South Island

    A number of naked eye views of the sky showing how to find beta Vir have been prepared by Brian Loader and Steve Kerr for different locations along the path. Click on the links below ...

  • Adelaide
  • Melbourne/Victoria
  • South Island

    Observers with cam corders or other portable video cameras capable of imaging beta Virginis are strongly encouraged to do so. If possible, observers should use a shortwave radio or GPS derived time source for their observations (eg play WWVH on a radio recorded either by the video camera or on a tape recorder recording observer comments). Alternatively, record a standard AM radio signal from the list below. A coordinator in each region will record this standard radio signal and correlate it to a time standard. The preferred AM radio stations are:

  • Western Australia - 6WF (720kHz)
  • South Australia - 5RN (729 kHz)
  • Victoria - 3RN (621 kHz)
  • New Zealand - National Radio (AM)

    In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 9.2 mag to 12.8 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most 3.8 seconds.

    This update is based on UNSO/Flagstaff astrometry for the asteroid kindly provided by Ron Stone, TMO astrometry for the asteroid kindly provided by Bill Owen, astrometry for the asteroid kindly provided by Gordon Garradd, historical astrometry from AstDys, and the following catalogs for the star position: .

    Additional details of this and other events are available at Steve Preston's website at http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/

    EVENT DETAILS SUMMARY : The Occultation Path : Data for the target star : Data for the minor planet :

    IMPORTANT NOTE!

    Astrometric updates such as these should not be taken as definitive, but rather only as an indication of where the true track may lie relative to the original predicted track. Observers must bear in mind that later astrometry, in which the target star is measured in the same field as the asteroid, may still reveal substantial changes to the predicted track and time of the event. For this reason it is most important that observers far from the predicted track still monitor the event.

    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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