NEW FEATURES AND IMPROVEMENTS IN OCCULT 3.0:

The primary change introduced in OCCULT 3.0 is a major revision of data used for occultations:

1. Completely revised and expanded catalogue for lunar occultations - XZ80Q. This has modern, high precision, positions for 99.999% of stars in the catalogue. It has been expanded to include stars to mag 12.0, and 12.5 in the close ecliptic region (for lunar eclipses). Associated with this has been a complete revision of the associated data for double stars and variable stars.

2. Incorporation of ALL reported occultation observations from 1623 to 2000 - with options to analyse and display - for example, to show the lunar profile for grazing occultations.

3. Collection of observations of asteroid occultations from 1958 to present, with a complete overhaul of the module for recording and analysing the observations.

Numerous other bug fixes and minor changes have been incorporated. The more notable of these are:

Lunar occultation predictions:

• For grazes, output the path coordinates in d m s, d m.m or d.dddd
• Easy display of details for occulted stars (double click on line) with graphical representation of the orbits of double stars (when known)
• Can handle many 'site' files of observer coordinates
• Plot past observations against the predicted graze profile (both graze, and ordinary, occultations)- with individual observations being identifiable by placing the cursor on the point.

Lunar Occultation reductions:

• Graze data complete to end of 2000, but with data up until 2003
• Ability to extract data from historical observations - based on site identifier (RGO or ILOC) or for a specified star (eg all occultations of Antares)
• Plot historical observations against the lunar limb - with individual observations being identified by placing the cursor on the point.

Asteroid occultations:

• Use of expanded Tycho2 catalogue. This has replaced Tycho2 positions with UCAC2 positions (where available), and expanded to include UCAC2 stars brighter than mag 12.00.
• Tools to read data from the Tycho2 catalogue, and to create charts
• Code amended to handle asteroids numbered >99,999 (expected by ~2005)
• For predictions:
  • Option to generate distances of many observers from the occultation path
  • Display of Visual and Blue magnitudes
  • Generate a summary of all events for your location, or for the world
  • Generate a list of stars that are occulted more than once in the prediction period
• For reductions:
  • List all diameters deduced from occultations
  • List all double star details derived fom occultations
  • List the position of the asteroid derived from occultations
  • Generate .bmp files of observed events

OBTAINING OCCULT:

You can obtain OCCULT 3.0 for Windows 95/98/2000/NT by one of the following methods:

• Download:

  Download OCCULT from the following International Occultation Timing Association website: http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/occult3.htm. Note however that the full download is 122 MB, of which 63 Mb is the optional Tycho 2 star catalog and 25Mb is the Goffin star catalog.

• CD

  You can request a CD from the RASNZ Occultation Section. The cost of the CD is $5 (Australian or NZ), which covers the media plus postage and packing within Australasia. (Members of the Occultation Section who want the CD should advise me and the $5 will be added to your next subscription). OCCULT is now freeware (although you can - at your option - still make a donation of $20 to the author).

  Observers not within Australia or New Zealand may wish to request a CD from Walt Robinson, 515 W Kump, Bonner Springs KS, 66012, USA at a cost of $US2 (cost of the CD) plus postage to your area. Most generally for anyone in the continental USA, this amounts to around $US5. Email Walt Robinson (webmaster@lunar-occultations.com). For rates for other areas contact Walt.

[Top of Page][Return to Home Page]