To record TOTAL, GRAZING AND DOUBLE STAR Observations, use one of the following three methods:

1. OCCULT Software:

   Both Total and Grazing Occultations can be recorded using the Observation Editor in OCCULT. Remember that graze observations need to be recorded separately from total occultations. Double star occultation reports can also be prepared from the Observation Editor, but must be done so as an *additional* report.

   Note:

   1. OCCULT is a very large program - 24Mb to 100 Mb depending on which star catalogs you choose to use. However installing the full OCCULT also enables you to accurately predict events for your site, which allows you to plan your observing schedule much more effectively. You can even check your observations yourself by performing a preliminary reduction before sending them on to your co-ordinator.
   2. New observers who have any difficulty in using the Occult Observation editor should contact their local co-ordinator who will provide assistance.

2. LUNAR REPORT Software:

   LUNAR REPORT is standalone lunar occultation reporting software derived from OCCULT. It is only 175Kb and should be extracted from its zip file to a suitable folder and run from there. A help file is included. (Note: To use this you must have the Microsoft .Net framework installed on your computer.)
   

3. LUNAR OCCULTATION WORKBENCH (LOW) Software:

   LOW software was written by Eric Limburg and is in common use in several parts of the world, particularly Europe. LOW can also prepare predictions and has other nice features. However like Occult is also big - about 90MB.

Important Notes:

1. We no longer support the old text file report templates as they require time-consuming manual transcription. Please use one of the above options for all Lunar, Graze and Double Star observations.
2. With the exception of the additional report generated for double star events, it is essential that observations are otherwise NOT REPORTED TWICE.
3. New observers who might be having difficulty using the OCCULT Observation Editor should contact their local co-ordinator who can provide assistance. Brian Loader has also kindly offered to assist new observers in setting up a pre-filled template form containing their positional data and telescope information. Then only event details need be added.

Where Do I send my Observations?

• Total Occultation observations should be sent as a text file (preferably from OCCULT) to your local co-ordinator after the end of each month.

• Grazing occultation reports should be sent directly to Dr Mitsuru.Soma and *not* to your local coordinator. However, if you are part of a team observing the graze, your individual report should be sent to the team leader who will collate them and be responsible for sending them on to Dr Soma as soon as possible after the graze.

• Double Star lunar occultation events, including when a double star is predicted by OCCULT but no double event is observed, should be sent as an *additional* report directly to Brian Loader.

Unlike total and grazing occultations, when you monitor a possible asteroidal occultation it is important to submit a report WHETHER YOU SEE AN OCCULTATION OR NOT. The reason for this is that even if you did not see an event, your negative observation might still be crucial in determining the diameter of the asteroid. For example, if you were just outside the area in which an occultation was observed, your observation may help define the southern or northern limit of the occultation band, thereby providing a constraint on the deduced size of the asteroid. There are many occasions where such negative observations have proven to be of crucial importance to obtaining a meaningful result.

You can report your PLANETARY OCCULTATION observations using one of the following two methods:

1. OCCULTWATCHER Software:

   OCCULTWATCHER is a very comprehensive program which allows observers to co-ordinate their observations over a wide geographical area in real time. It is regarded as essential software by all regular observers. OCCULTWATCHER features a number of optional Add-Ins, one of which will assist you in preparing an Excel spreadsheet report form. However to use this feature you must first download and install the "IOTA Reporting" Add-In from this page. Once the time of an event has passed you can right-click on the event and choose "Report Observation". The Add-In contains some basic error-checking to assist you in filling out the report correctly.

2. Excel Minor Planet Occultation Report Form:

   If you are unable to report your observation using OCCULTWATCHER we prefer that your observations are reported using this form. If you do not have Microsoft Excel or OCCULTWATCHER you can instead use our Text-only Minor Planet Occultation Report Form. The co-ordinators receive a large number of reports so it is of considerable help to them if you can carefully follow the instructions contained in each form.

   NOTE: There is a strict naming convention for planetary occultation reports which is fully explained in our Planetary Occultation Report Naming Standards Word document. (This document should be able to be opened using Microsft Word, Open Office, or a range of other word-processing programs. If you have difficulty please consult the co-ordinator below.)

Please forward reports to the Planetary Occultation co-ordinator for Australia and New Zealand John Talbot, with a copy to Director OCCSEC . Reports (whether positive or negative) should be submitted as soon as possible after each event, but certainly at least as frequently as once a month.

Important Notes:

1. Please do not delete any raw data (such as video recordings) before your co-ordinator has had a chance to check and reduce your results, as resolving any issues may require access to the raw data.
2. The Excel and Text-based forms are intended for use only by observers in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. If you are observing from other regions you should obtain the correct forms to use from your local co-ordinator via the websites below:

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR RESULTS?

• All positive results (i.e. where an occultation is observed by at least one observer) are reduced and a preliminary analysis is posted to our Results Pages.
• All planetary occultation reports (both positive and negative) are collated and published in the RASNZ Occultation Section Circulars (We believe in acknowledging the efforts of all our observers!)
• Where sufficient positive observations of an event are obtained a full analysis is carried out and published in the academic literature with all observers named as co-authors.