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Updated: 2008 MAR 31, 03:39 UT
Event Rank : 52
(The event Rank is a measure of the likelihood of observing an event, and is equal to the probability of at least one successful observation by a team of two observers spaced 1/8 path width just inside opposite sides of the predicted path. An event rank of 100 indicates that the prediction is expected to be very accurate).
THE UPDATED PATH
Note: The duration given in the line below is the interval during which the occultation shadow sweeps across the Earth - please see the minute markers on the map to determine the approximate time for your location.
On 2008 May 02 UT, the 49 km diameter asteroid (1819) Laputa will occult a 10.9 mag star in the constellation Leo Minor for observers along a north to south path passing over eastern parts of Western Australia, ending between Esperance and Eucla.
In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 5.1 mag to 16.0 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most 10.1 seconds.
This update is based on UNSO/Flagstaff astrometry for the asteroid kindly provided by Alice Monet, historical astrometry from the MPC files (via AstDys), and the following catalogs for the star position: UCAC.
Additional details of this and other events are available at Steve Preston's website at http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/
EVENT DETAILS SUMMARY :Important Note regarding Accuracy:
The uncertainty interval in path widths given above (and shown as a 1-sigma uncertainty ellipse on the plot) refers to RMS deviation and is applied as a +/- range. In other words, a path uncertainty of 1.0 path widths means that the actual center of the asteroid's shadow path should fall within plus or minus 1 path width of the plotted path center. However path errors larger than 1 sigma have been observed so observers should be alert for primary occultations within plus or minus 3 sigma of the updated path.
Further, almost all asteroidal satellites discovered so far have been found within 10 diameters of the asteroid (since this distance is deep enough within the gravitational well to be stable over long timescales). Therefore, if monitoring for secondary events, observing out to about 10 path-widths either side of the predicted track remains worthwhile.
We therefore recommend that you monitor for events if your observing location is up to +/- 10 path-widths from the predicted track. If not monitoring for occultations by secondary bodies you should observe from locations within 3 sigma of the nominal path.
In terms of time, the predictions are now usually accurate to about +/- 0.3 minute so you should be most attentive during the predicted minute of the event. However if intending to catch a potential satellite occultation you should start observing at least 10 times the predicted central duration before the predicted closest approach time for your location, and continue for a similar period afterwards.
Centre Star Star Sun Path Limits Error Limits
E. Longitude Latitude U.T. Alt Az Alt Limit 1 Limit 2 Limit 3 Limit 4
o ' " o ' " h m s o o o o ' " o ' " o ' " o ' "
Longitude Longitude Longitude Longitude
124 6 22 -40 0 0 10 6 21 17 22 -15 123 45 50 124 26 49 122 55 0 125 16 48
124 21 39 -39 0 0 10 6 12 17 22 -15 124 1 29 124 41 45 123 11 31 125 30 54
124 35 44 -38 0 0 10 6 4 18 22 -15 124 15 53 124 55 31 123 26 45 125 43 52
124 48 41 -37 0 0 10 5 55 19 22 -15 124 29 9 125 8 9 123 40 47 125 55 46
125 0 34 -36 0 0 10 5 45 20 22 -15 124 41 19 125 19 45 123 53 40 126 6 39
125 11 25 -35 0 0 10 5 36 21 22 -15 124 52 26 125 30 20 124 5 29 126 16 35
125 21 18 -34 0 0 10 5 25 22 22 -15 125 2 35 125 39 57 124 16 16 126 25 36
125 30 16 -33 0 0 10 5 14 23 22 -15 125 11 47 125 48 41 124 26 4 126 33 44
125 38 20 -32 0 0 10 5 3 24 22 -15 125 20 5 125 56 32 124 34 56 126 41 2
125 45 34 -31 0 0 10 4 52 25 22 -14 125 27 32 126 3 33 124 42 55 126 47 32
125 51 59 -30 0 0 10 4 40 26 22 -14 125 34 9 126 9 46 124 50 2 126 53 16
125 57 37 -29 0 0 10 4 28 27 22 -14 125 39 58 126 15 13 124 56 19 126 58 16
126 2 30 -28 0 0 10 4 15 28 22 -14 125 45 2 126 19 55 125 1 49 127 2 33
126 6 39 -27 0 0 10 4 2 29 23 -14 125 49 21 126 23 54 125 6 33 127 6 8
126 10 5 -26 0 0 10 3 48 30 23 -14 125 52 56 126 27 11 125 10 32 127 9 2
126 12 51 -25 0 0 10 3 34 31 23 -13 125 55 50 126 29 48 125 13 47 127 11 18
126 14 56 -24 0 0 10 3 20 32 23 -13 125 58 4 126 31 45 125 16 20 127 12 56
126 16 22 -23 0 0 10 3 5 33 23 -13 125 59 37 126 33 3 125 18 12 127 13 56
126 17 9 -22 0 0 10 2 50 34 24 -13 126 0 31 126 33 44 125 19 24 127 14 19
126 17 19 -21 0 0 10 2 35 34 24 -12 126 0 47 126 33 47 125 19 56 127 14 7
126 16 51 -20 0 0 10 2 19 35 24 -12 126 0 26 126 33 14 125 19 49 127 13 19
126 15 47 -19 0 0 10 2 3 36 25 -12 125 59 27 126 32 4 125 19 4 127 11 57
126 14 7 -18 0 0 10 1 47 37 25 -12 125 57 52 126 30 19 125 17 41 127 9 59
126 11 51 -17 0 0 10 1 30 38 26 -11 125 55 40 126 27 59 125 15 40 127 7 28
126 8 59 -16 0 0 10 1 12 39 26 -11 125 52 52 126 25 3 125 13 2 127 4 23
126 5 32 -15 0 0 10 0 55 40 27 -11 125 49 29 126 21 32 125 9 47 127 0 43
126 1 29 -14 0 0 10 0 37 40 27 -10 125 45 29 126 17 26 125 5 55 126 56 30
125 56 51 -13 0 0 10 0 19 41 28 -10 125 40 53 126 12 45 125 1 26 126 51 43
125 51 37 -12 0 0 10 0 0 42 28 -9 125 35 42 126 7 30 124 56 20 126 46 21
125 45 47 -11 0 0 9 59 42 43 29 -9 125 29 54 126 1 38 124 50 36 126 40 26
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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