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Updated: 2009 NOV 26, 15:07 UT
Event Rank : 25
(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 2009 Dec 09 UT, the 11 km diameter asteroid (1338) Duponta will occult a 10.5 mag star in the constellation Auriga for observers along a narrow path across Australia from near Coffs Harbour in northeastern New South Wales across northwestern Victoria near Robinvale to Kinston Sydney.E. in southeastern South Australia.
In the case of an occultation, the combined light of the asteroid and the star will drop by 4.0 mag to 14.5 mag (the magnitude of the asteroid) for at most 1.4 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
134 36 44 -40 0 0 13 20 42 11 30 -24 134 25 21 134 48 10 133 25 14 135 49 56
136 8 44 -39 0 0 13 20 34 13 29 -25 135 57 9 136 20 21 134 56 3 137 23 14
137 44 41 -38 0 0 13 20 24 14 28 -26 137 32 52 137 56 33 136 30 35 139 0 49
139 25 8 -37 0 0 13 20 12 16 27 -28 139 13 1 139 37 18 138 9 16 140 43 14
141 10 41 -36 0 0 13 19 59 17 25 -29 140 58 13 141 23 13 139 52 41 142 31 12
143 2 8 -35 0 0 13 19 45 19 24 -31 142 49 14 143 15 7 141 41 31 144 25 39
145 0 30 -34 0 0 13 19 28 20 23 -32 144 47 4 145 14 1 143 36 38 146 27 43
147 7 7 -33 0 0 13 19 9 22 21 -33 146 53 0 147 21 20 145 39 12 148 39 3
Latitude Latitude Latitude Latitude
148 0 0 -32 36 12 13 19 1 22 20 -34 -32 29 48 -32 42 38 -31 55 56 -33 17 21
149 0 0 -32 10 6 13 18 51 23 20 -34 -32 3 45 -32 16 28 -31 30 12 -32 50 51
150 0 0 -31 44 56 13 18 41 24 19 -35 -31 38 39 -31 51 15 -31 5 23 -32 25 19
151 0 0 -31 20 43 13 18 31 24 18 -35 -31 14 28 -31 26 58 -30 41 29 -32 0 45
152 0 0 -30 57 25 13 18 21 25 17 -36 -30 51 14 -31 3 38 -30 18 31 -31 37 7
153 0 0 -30 35 3 13 18 10 26 16 -36 -30 28 55 -30 41 13 -29 56 26 -31 14 26
154 0 0 -30 13 36 13 18 0 26 16 -37 -30 7 31 -30 19 43 -29 35 16 -30 52 41
155 0 0 -29 53 4 13 17 49 27 15 -37 -29 47 1 -29 59 8 -29 15 0 -30 31 52
156 0 0 -29 33 27 13 17 38 27 14 -38 -29 27 26 -29 39 28 -28 55 38 -30 11 59
157 0 0 -29 14 43 13 17 27 28 13 -38 -29 8 45 -29 20 43 -28 37 9 -29 53 0
Uncertainty in time = +/- 5 secs
Prediction of 2009 Nov 26.0
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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