[AZ-Observing] Re: Dec 3 asteroid occultation
- From: "Neville Cole" <nevillecole@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2005 22:37:33 -0700
Hi Jimmy,
I was wondering if something just like you detailed might have caused the
occultation I saw. Very interesting idea indeed. Even having seen that
would be something!
Unfortunately it was too long ago and my memory sucks, so no, I haven't a
hope of remembering if I was pointing at something over the equator or not.
Too bad I didn't investigate further back when it happened.
Oh well!
- Neville
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Jimmy Ray" <jimmy_ray@xxxxxxx>
Reply-To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Dec 3 asteroid occultation
Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2005 07:47:52 -0700
Here a couple of months ago I had the Mrs. out at 3AM to show her some of
the more popular objects (Orion nebula, Saturn, etc.) While she was viewing
the Orion Nebula she asks "What's that little thing moving across it?" I
looked into the eyepiece and sure enough there was a very slow moving
rectangular object floating across the FOV. I watched it for awhile and
decided it must be a spent upper stage of a near geosyncronis satellite or
something in that order. If the sun hadn't been reflecting off of it ,it
probably could have produced something similar to what you saw (though I
prefer the Asteroid theory). Thinking about it a large geosyncronis
satellite, in earths shadow might cause the same effect. Was your star over
the equator?
Jimmy Ray
-----Original Message-----
From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Neville Cole
Sent: Friday, November 25, 2005 6:34 PM
To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Dec 3 asteroid occultation
I can barely remember what I had for breakfast today, so no, there's no hope
I would ever remember the date and time.
I do remember thinking it was very strange, which I doubt I would have
thought that had an airplane been crossing my FOV, with lights blinking and
flashing. I also have used my scope to track several satellites, but they
are so fast moving, and I think they couldn't cause an occultation to last
even as long as a second. I believe the star I saw occulted must have been
mag 9 or fainter.
Thanks for the additional info. If I did indeed witness an occultation by
asteroid, it seems like I saw a highly unusual event.
Neville
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Randy Peterson" <rgpeterson@xxxxxxx>
Reply-To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Dec 3 asteroid occultation
Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 07:31:26 -0700
I am unfamiliar with an exact number, but it must be "astronomical"!
But seriously, I try for most asteroid occultations that come near Phoenix,
and have traveled as far as 100 miles in several directions to try to catch
a few that were "in the neighborhood". There are maybe 10 events per year
that I try for. If I get one or two of those, that is statistically par for
the course, and I am happy. I went about 2 years with no captured event a
while back, then I got two events within 3 weeks of each other.
Very few, like the one coming up on Dec 3, are fairly sure things - this one
mainly because of the asteroids large size. Most are 10th to 12 magnitude
stars being occulted by a 30 km wide asteroid with a high degree of
uncertainty (a few hundred km) of its exact path, that unless you are
looking exactly at the right star in the correct star field from within the
30 km wide shadow-path on the earth, you'd never notice it.
If I was guessing, it would seem more likely that a satellite or airplane
occulted the star. However, if it was a few seconds in duration, perhaps
you did witness one! I guess the real test would be to get the date and
time this happened, and go back and see if there was an event at that time
visible from where you were. Several people in IOTA calculate possible
occultations for thousands of events worldwide each year. The odds of an
event "slipping in" without previously being forecast are extremely slim -
so there should be a prediction record. Any chance you remember the date
and time?
Randy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Neville Cole" <nevillecole@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, November 25, 2005 1:45 AM
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Dec 3 asteroid occultation
> Hi Randy,
>
> I think I saw a random occultation once by accident.
>
> A year or two ago, while I was observing, one star in the FOV simply
> disappeared. Just as I began to think "what the heck...!", it
reappeared.
> Must have only been a second or three.
>
> I've sometimes wondered what the odds were of me seeing a random one
like
> that. Any idea?
>
> Neville
>
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