Good Occultation by (152) Atala Saturday evening, May 6
The weather forecast for this Astronomy Day event is very good, much better than for the Iris occultation in the Mid-Atlantic States
Please help us time the occultation from many locations to measure the size and shape of Atala. More will be posted here Friday evening.
This is something useful to do at the end of the Astronomy Day star parties; station list now added
Updated: 2006 May 5, 6:30 pm EDT
The 71-km asteroid (152) Atala will occult 10.0-mag. TYC 5558-01048-1 Saturday evening, May 6, at 11:43 pm EDT in Delaware and the Washington, DC region (3:43 UT of May 7 UT). The path also passes over Madrid and Barcelona, Spain at 3:37 UT, and crosses the USA, passing over southern Ohio (3:44 UT), central Ind. & Ill., s. Iowa (3:45 UT = 10:45 pm CDT May 6), n. Nebr., s.w. S.Dakota, & n. Wyoming (3:46 UT = 9:46 pm MDT May 6). The star is at J2000 RA 14h 09m 23.3s, Dec -12 deg. 23' 44", about halfway between Jupiter and Spica, just over 2 deg. south and a little west of 4th-mag. kappa Virginis, about 40' south and a little east of a 7th-mag. star, and 6' west of a slightly brighter star. A central occultation will last 5 seconds with a 3-mag. drop. We will try to coordinate coverage for this event, so please let me know your plans for it. More will be distributed about it tomorrow night. Maps, finder charts, and other details are on Steve Preston's Web site. I have trouble now printing those maps directly from my Web browser; only a small part of them print. I have put them in a Power Point file that allows you to view and print the whole charts; the file also includes the path views across the USA and over Iberia. In any case, please let me know if you plan to try to observe this good occultation, either from a fixed site or with portable equipment, so that we can optimize location of several mobile observers for this event, targeting them to parts of the asteroid that won't be covered by fixed-site observers. A comprehensive list of stations listed by distance in km from the central line is on Derek Breit's Web site. Mobile observers can be given a distance from the central line to aim for, and they can input that distance in the "offset" box on Derek Breit's interactive google maps site to view the path, and their offset line, in great detail. The first (39 hours in advance) Astro Meteo forecast (Clear Sky Clock uses it) for this occultation shows lingering clouds over the path across the Delmarva Peninsula, and just south of it in central Virginia. But clear skies are forecast from central Maryland - DC - northern Virginia westward all the way to the Missouri River. Variable cloudiness is expected in the path west of the Missouri River, but clear in n.e. Wyoming and mostly clear in s.w. S. Dakota. Links to these forecast maps are below. Predicted cloud cover, eastern USA Predicted cloud cover, western USA Transparency all in a Power Point file There will be further cloud cover forecast updates at about midnight tonight, and around noon tomorrow. Below is a list of observers who have said they will try the event (not very many since this is only the first message widely distributed about this event); if I missed you, please let me know so I can add you in a future update. After the distance in km from the predicted central line, the codes are F = fixed site, M = mobile site, w = site likely to be clouded out, and [blank] = may observe but no response yet, can't count on it, but try not to exactly duplicate (if your site is a [blank], it would be helpful if you could observe, and even better if you could let us know that you will try). This list is edited down from the much more comprehensive list that's on Derek Breit's Web site with URL given above. I will update this list tomorrow as needed. I plan to pre- point a telescope at home for my wife to use as soon as it gets dark enough, then leave to set up one or two mobile sites farther south, so my last chance to make any changes will be about 1h UT (9 pm EDT). Observers within 2-sigma of the limits, and especially those within 1-sigma of them, are encouraged to try to monitor the star; they could have an occultation. Steve Preston's 04/03/06 update Occultation of TYC 5558-01048-1 by 152 Atala on 2006 May 07 Distance from center of occultation path - in km NOTE - I will not be able to update this list on this Web site, but will update a shorter version of it for distribution by e-mail from home late tonight and tomorrow. % Star Sun Proba- Location Longitude Latitude U.T. Alt Alt km bility o ' o ' h m o o 237 0 ** Northern limit plus 3-sigma, occultation unlikely ** 235 0 Jim Thorpe PA Tom Bash - 75 41.3 40 54.8 3 43.5 36 -30 228 0 Cranford NJ SperryOb AAI Clark - 74 19.4 40 40.0 3 43.3 37 -30 219 0 RICHMOND OH CHAGRIN VALLEY AST. - 81 4.9 41 32.8 3 44.0 35 -28 203 1 DODGEVILLE WI OESPER~DAVID - 90 08.0 42 57.5 3 44.8 31 -23 202 1 Allentwn PA S.Mt,Deterline,etc - 75 27.9 40 33.9 3 43.4 37 -30 201 1 Harlington, NJ Robert Vanderbei - 74 39.3 40 27.1 3 43.4 37 -31 185 2 LakeVila IL Steve Ballaron - 88 5.3 42 24.2 3 44.6 32 -24 184 2 Columbia Station Lon Dittrick - 81 57.4 41 20.8 3 44.1 35 -28 176 2 ** Northern limit plus 2-sigma, event unlikely but possible ** 174 2 Youngstn Oh Phil Plante IOTA - 80 37.3 41 2.5 3 43.9 35 -28 173 3 Kent SU Obs, OH Francis Graham - 81 19.9 41 8.5 3 44.0 35 -28 171 3 Douglsvl PA Peter DetterlineObs - 75 42.0 40 18.1 3 43.5 37 -30 159 4 Medina OH Phil Hoyle - 81 54.9 41 6.2 3 44.1 35 -28 158 5 Plymouth PA ColonialObs.D'Egidi - 75 18.6 40 7.5 3 43.4 37 -31 153 5 Indiana PA Coles~Ken - 79 9.9 40 37.3 3 43.8 36 -29 152 5 Granger IN BUETER~CHUCK - 86 10.6 41 44.9 3 44.5 34 -26 147 6 Narvon PA Dick Sauder - 75 56.3 40 6.4 3 43.5 37 -31 146 7 N CANTON OH DAVID GILL IOTA - 81 21.0 40 53.2 3 44.0 35 -28 146 7 Pic du Midi, France 0 8.6 42 56.2 3 37.4 8 -12 145 7 SouthBnd IN Tom Laskowski vid. - 86 12.0 41 41.3 3 44.5 34 -26 143 7 SARVER PA HOLTZ~JOHN W. - 79 48.8 40 37.6 3 43.9 36 -29 138 8 WEST CHE PA CLIFFORD J. BADER - 75 34.4 39 58.6 3 43.5 37 -31 137 9 Lewisbry PA AST.SOC.OF HARRSBRG - 76 53.7 40 8.9 3 43.6 37 -30 136 9 Springfield, PA Don D'Egidio, - 75 21.0 39 55.8 3 43.4 37 -31 136 9 Media PA John Kemtz - 75 23.0 39 55.9 3 43.4 37 -31 130 11 Chicago, IL RyersonAS Ob-S - 87 36.0 41 47.4 3 44.6 33 -25 130 11 Sioux Falls SD - 96 43.6 43 32.6 3 45.4 29 -20 127 12 KENNETT SQUAREPA KAUER~JAMES CHA- 75 39.0 39 52.7 3 43.5 37 -31 125 12 Porto, Portugal - 8 37.0 41 9.0 3 37.6 14 -18 125 12 Pittsbrg PA Zhu,Persngr,Faust - 80 1.3 40 29.0 3 43.9 36 -29 119 15 Wilmot OH Wilderness Center O - 81 39.0 40 40.5 3 44.1 36 -28 117 15 MontCuba DE0 Mt.CubaObs.,DE A.S - 75 38.0 39 47.1 3 43.5 37 -31 116 16 ** Northern limit plus 1-sigma, occultation quite possible ** 112 17 CedarFal IA Tom Hockey - 92 26.4 42 31.2 3 45.0 31 -23 98 23 Gettysbg PA Mike Hayden - 77 13.8 39 49.8 3 43.6 37 -30 96 24 NewFredm PA Harry Bates Mapsonu - 76 41.5 39 43.9 3 43.6 37 -31 96 24 Martel, OH The Astronomer - 82 54.6 40 39.8 3 44.2 35 -28 84 30 Millvill NJ Fred Schaaf - 75 2.4 39 24.0 3 43.4 38 -31 83 31 Wstmnstr MD WAS BearBrchNatCtr - 76 59.2 39 39.0 3 43.6 37 -31 82 32 SomersPt NJ Michael Gille - 74 37.5 39 19.4 3 43.4 38 -32 81 32 Bel Air MD HCAS L. Hubble - 76 20.4 39 32.4 3 43.5 38 -31 81 32 Warwick MD Gary Kiser - 75 46.7 39 28.3 3 43.5 38 -31 81 32 Aberdeen MD Phil Dykstra - 76 9.6 39 31.2 3 43.5 38 -31 80 33 Hampsted MD Marc Damashek - 76 52.3 39 36.4 3 43.6 37 -31 80 33 Cedar Rapids, IA John Centala 8 - 91 37.0 42 3.2 3 45.0 32 -23 80 33 Marion IA John Centala - 91 37.0 42 3.2 3 45.0 32 -23 79 33 CEDAR RA IA FRANK OLSEN - 91 39.5 42 3.0 3 45.0 32 -23 79 33 Somerset PA Blaine Roelke - 79 17.2 39 56.0 3 43.8 37 -30 75 35 CedarRap IA HillsideO D.Plasenc - 91 40.5 42 1.2 3 45.0 32 -23 75 36 CedarRpd IA Larry Black - 91 39.2 42 0.6 3 45.0 32 -23 73 36 Wstmnstr MD Brian Eney WAS - 76 59.0 39 33.7 3 43.6 38 -31 71 38 Hagerstn MD Rod Martin - 77 43.2 39 38.4 3 43.7 37 -30 70 38 Hancock MD Pool parking mobile - 78 6.2 39 41.0 3 43.7 37 -30 66 F 40 Marston MD Obs.,Curt Roelle - 77 4.8 39 30.3 3 43.6 38 -31 65 41 Reisters MD Richard Schoen - 76 48.0 39 27.6 3 43.6 38 -31 59 44 Towson, MD Alex Storrs - 76 37.5 39 22.5 3 43.6 38 -31 58 45 Milford DE Eric Rick Barnes - 75 31.3 39 13.3 3 43.5 38 -31 57 45 Ldersbrg MD Ken Adcock - 76 55.1 39 24.1 3 43.6 38 -31 57 46 Swisher IA OwlRidgeO DougSlaus - 91 41.5 41 50.9 3 45.0 32 -23 56 46 E.Baltmr MD Jonathan Anderson - 76 33.2 39 20.4 3 43.6 38 -31 56 F 46 Sykesville MD Jarret Dixon - 77 11.9 40 12.2 3 43.6 38 -31 55 46 Eldersbu MD 2003_428GeorgeSaute - 76 56.0 39 23.0 3 43.6 38 -31 55 46 *** Northern limit *** 55 46 Essex MD Dale Lehman - 76 28.2 39 19.2 3 43.5 38 -31 54 47 Baltimor MD BAS BlmbObs Tolea - 76 37.4 39 19.9 3 43.6 38 -31 50 49 Delaware OH Mark Watson - 83 3.3 40 15.1 3 44.2 36 -28 48 50 AlphaRdg MD Howard Ast League - 76 54.6 39 18.6 3 43.6 38 -31 47 51 Berkley Spgs WV MorganCntyObs - 78 13.2 39 28.9 3 43.7 37 -30 47 51 Mt Airy MD George Varros - 77 12.4 39 20.5 3 43.6 38 -31 46 51 CarrsMil MD Howard Ast League - 77 3.2 39 19.1 3 43.6 38 -31 43 53 Berkley Spgs WV MorganCountyAS - 78 13.9 39 26.8 3 43.7 37 -30 42 53 RapidCity SD -103 13.2 44 4.9 3 45.9 26 -16 41 53 Damascus MD Hands On Optics - 77 12.4 39 17.3 3 43.6 38 -31 41 53 Moline IL Paul Castle - 90 32.4 41 29.0 3 44.9 33 -24 40 54 Hazelton We Star party site Hol - 79 32.6 39 36.8 3 43.9 37 -30 39 54 Columbia MD Peter Chen - 76 50.1 39 13.1 3 43.6 38 -31 38 55 Dayton MD Gary Frishkorn - 76 59.6 39 13.9 3 43.6 38 -31 37 55 AMES IA WORMLEY~SAMUEL - 93 37.0 42 2.0 3 45.2 31 -22 36 55 Harpers Ferry WV - 77 44.4 39 19.2 3 43.7 38 -31 36 56 Morgntwn WV TomchinObsLittleton - 79 57.4 39 38.1 3 43.9 37 -30 35 56 Columbia, MD Don Gardner - 76 50.4 39 10.8 3 43.6 38 -31 35 56 McPhersn MD s.BWI F.Pk mobile s - 76 39.5 39 9.7 3 43.6 38 -31 33 57 Swanton MD 2003_428Gus Johnson - 79 17.9 39 30.5 3 43.8 37 -30 33 57 A P L MD N. field AC site - 76 53.9 39 10.1 3 43.6 38 -31 31 58 Barnesvl MD John Menke - 77 22.8 39 13.2 3 43.6 38 -31 29 58 Ashton MD Greg Mort - 77 0.1 39 9.3 3 43.6 38 -31 29 58 New Cut Rd, MD Sedlak mobile - 76 40.5 39 6.1 3 43.6 38 -31 28 59 Boone IA Fick Obs., Iowa St. - 93 56.4 42 0.3 3 45.2 31 -22 28 59 COLUMBUS OH Garrett Van Cleef - 83 3.0 40 2.8 3 44.2 36 -28 28 59 Laurel MD 2003_428David Skill - 76 50.6 39 6.9 3 43.6 38 -31 28 58 SEVERNA PARK MD LEONARD~BOBBY - 76 36.4 39 5.4 3 43.6 38 -31 26 59 TiptonFd MD mobile site - 76 46.0 39 5.4 3 43.6 38 -31 26 59 GRINNELL IA GRINNELL COLLEG- 92 43.2 41 45.3 3 45.1 32 -23 26 59 Tuckahoe MD St.Park star party - 75 55.8 38 58.8 3 43.5 38 -32 22 60 Gaithersburg, MD Jim Vail - 77 12.1 39 6.9 3 43.6 38 -31 21 60 Silver Spring, MD Ed Abel - 77 0.8 39 4.9 3 43.6 38 -31 18 F 61 GORF16IN Be Wayne H. Warren Jr. - 76 49.6 39 1.3 3 43.6 38 -31 17 62 Annapols MD M.Shea & J.Huddle - 76 30.0 38 58.2 3 43.6 38 -31 16 62 BOWIE MD ANDREW W. SEACORD I - 76 46.4 38 60.0 3 43.6 38 -31 15 62 Greenbelt, MD Northway Field - 76 52.0 39 0.4 3 43.6 38 -31 14 62 GlennDal MD Joe Sedlak - 76 47.8 38 59.2 3 43.6 38 -31 14 62 Bowie MD Glenn Bock - 76 44.9 38 58.8 3 43.6 38 -31 14 62 ColegPrk MD UMD Ob.,E. Warner - 76 57.4 39 0.1 3 43.6 38 -31 14 62 Bethesda, MD Vince Semproni - 77 7.1 39 1.6 3 43.6 38 -31 13 F 62 GREENBELT MD Joan Dunham - 76 52.2 38 59.2 3 43.6 38 -31 11 63 STERLING VA ROBERT STEWART - 77 22.9 39 2.3 3 43.6 38 -31 11 63 BETHESDA MD JAY H. MILLER - 77 7.6 39 0.2 3 43.6 38 -31 11 63 TAKOMA P MD HAROLD WILLIAMS - 77 0.0 38 58.8 3 43.6 38 -31 11 63 Sterling VA Patrick Lowry - 77 24.7 39 2.6 3 43.6 38 -31 10 63 Sterling VA Peter Gural - 77 22.7 39 1.7 3 43.6 38 -31 10 63 Lanham MD ai Sol. J. Carrico - 76 50.0 38 56.9 3 43.6 38 -31 9 63 Woodmore MD Chuck Quintero - 76 47.9 38 56.4 3 43.6 38 -31 9 63 Bethesda MD John Wetmore - 77 6.5 38 58.7 3 43.6 38 -31 8 63 Savage VA NOVAC via Stewart - 77 51.7 39 4.7 3 43.7 38 -31 6 63 Parsells VA NOVAC via Stewart - 77 32.0 39 1.0 3 43.7 38 -31 6 63 Bowie MD John Wood - 76 43.9 38 54.3 3 43.6 38 -31 4 63 STEPHENS CITY VA BROOKS~JOHN - 78 11.7 39 5.2 3 43.7 38 -31 3 63 WASHNGTN DC MASON~BRIAN U.S.N.O - 77 4.1 38 55.3 3 43.6 38 -31 0 63 Vienna VA 2003_428J. Guerber - 77 16.4 38 55.1 3 43.6 38 -31 0 63 **** Centre Line **** -5 63 Arlngton VA Scott Fearing - 77 5.4 38 51.0 3 43.6 38 -31 -6 63 McKendre MD R. Taibi meteor - 76 38.2 38 46.9 3 43.6 38 -32 -7 63 DES MOINES IA GALLOWAY~JOE - 93 40.0 41 37.5 3 45.2 31 -23 -8 63 TEMPL HL MD RICHARD J. TAIBI - 76 54.2 38 47.6 3 43.6 38 -31 -12 62 ALEXANDRIA VA BOLSTER~ROBERT - 77 6.4 38 47.2 3 43.6 38 -31 -12 63 Haymarkt VA Hopewell Obs. - 77 41.9 38 52.2 3 43.7 38 -31 -12 62 Blackwtr WV APL A.C. star party - 79 29.8 39 7.0 3 43.9 38 -30 -20 61 Dayton OH ApolloObs P.Craig - 84 12.1 39 47.3 3 44.3 36 -28 -22 60 Nicklasn VA NOVAC via Stewart - 77 21.0 38 44.0 3 43.6 38 -31 -29 58 Nokesvil VA Sam Somers - 77 34.5 38 41.7 3 43.7 38 -31 -29 58 Morton IL Tooley~Curtis - 89 29.5 40 37.7 3 44.8 34 -25 -30 58 WOODBRIDGE VA BROWN~BRIAN W. - 77 15.9 38 38.7 3 43.6 38 -31 -32 57 Athens OH George Eberts - 82 5.4 39 20.4 3 44.1 37 -29 -34 56 Hughesvl MD MICHAEL CAPOBIANCO - 76 49.2 38 32.8 3 43.6 39 -32 -35 56 Bloomington IL - 88 59.6 40 29.0 3 44.8 34 -26 -39 54 Greenfield IN Rob Walker - 85 41.5 39 52.0 3 44.5 35 -27 -46 51 Madrid, Spain - 3 41.1 40 24.6 3 37.3 11 -16 -51 49 Nanjemoy MD S. MD. Astro. Soc. - 77 8.0 38 26.2 3 43.6 39 -32 -55 46 *** Southern limit *** -55 46 Frostburg, MD Bob Doyle - 78 55.5 38 39.0 3 43.8 38 -31 -56 46 MEDINA WA PRESTON~STEPHEN-122 13.9 47 37.2 3 46.9 14 -4 -60 44 New Germany, MD Steve Vincent - 79 7.0 38 38.0 3 43.8 38 -31 -61 43 Urbana IL UIL Ob Stuart Levy - 88 13.5 40 6.3 3 44.7 35 -26 -61 43 BigMedos VA NOVAC via Stewart - 78 28.0 38 32.0 3 43.8 38 -31 -64 42 Barcelona, Spain 2 9.6 41 23.2 3 37.1 7 -11 -68 39 FRDRKSBG VA David Wilson - 77 27.6 38 19.2 3 43.7 39 -32 -69 39 Renton, WA John Robbins -122 8.8 47 28.6 3 46.9 14 -4 -91 27 Greenban WV Bob Anderson - 79 49.4 38 26.5 3 43.9 38 -31 -95 25 CINCINNATI OH VENTRE~JOHN E. - 84 25.3 39 8.3 3 44.4 36 -29 -97 24 Cincinnati OH Gene Herrmann - 84 18.0 39 06.3 3 44.3 37 -29 -100 23 Omaha NE approximate - 96 6.0 41 15.0 3 45.4 31 -22 -106 20 Verona VA Karaffa & Wine - 79 1.0 38 12.0 3 43.8 39 -31 -116 16 ** Southern limit plus 1-sigma, occultation quite possible ** -116 15 CharlottesvilleV Univ.ofVA McCo - 78 31.4 38 2.0 3 43.8 39 -32 -119 14 Yakima WA -120 30.7 46 36.2 3 46.9 15 -5 -121 14 Oliver VA Robert Oldham - 77 31.3 37 51.1 3 43.7 39 -32 -122 13 Pasco WA Dart~Steve -119 13.6 46 15.6 3 46.9 16 -6 -127 12 Lisbon, Portugal - 9 11.2 38 42.7 3 37.5 16 -20 -136 9 Fan Mtn Obs VA Univ.ofVA 32in - 78 41.5 37 52.7 3 43.8 39 -32 -150 6 Richmond VA Randy Tatum vid. - 77 33.0 37 35.7 3 43.7 39 -32 -155 5 Lincoln NE M. Gaskell & Johnso - 96 35.6 40 50.6 3 45.5 31 -22 -159 4 Umatilla, OR Tony George 12 -119 17.9 45 56.0 3 46.9 16 -6 -160 4 UMATILLA OR GEORGE JR.~ANTH-119 17.6 45 55.4 3 46.9 16 -6 -161 4 Elgin, OR Joe Garlitz,E. -117 55.2 45 34.4 3 46.8 17 -7 -161 4 VMI DR David L. DuPuy - 79 23.7 37 45.5 3 43.9 39 -32 -174 2 Wiliamsb VA William&Mary Col. - 76 43.0 37 16.1 3 43.6 40 -33 -176 2 ** Southern limit plus 2-sigma, event unlikely but possible ** -186 2 Yorktown VA Michael Klosterman - 76 27.0 37 7.6 3 43.6 40 -33 -189 1 Langley VA Hampton 16in pe - 76 22.6 37 5.2 3 43.5 40 -33 -193 1 E E Barnard Obs Allan Morton -111 46.6 43 49.1 3 46.5 22 -12 -202 1 Fincastl VA John Goss RVAS - 79 58.2 37 28.4 3 43.9 39 -32 -211 1 Suffolk VA Tidewater CC Ob via - 76 26.2 36 54.3 3 43.6 40 -33 -216 0 CHESAPEK VI DENNIS A. ROWLEY - 76 23.6 36 50.9 3 43.6 40 -33 -216 0 Valencia, Spain - 0 24.0 39 29.0 3 37.1 10 -14 -233 0 Roanoke VA Michael Good RVAS - 80 4.7 37 12.7 3 43.9 39 -32 -237 0 ** Southern limit plus 3-sigma, occultation unlikely ** __________________________________________________ David Dunham, IOTA 2006 May 5, 630 pm EDT phones home 301-474-4722; office 240-228-5609; cell 301-526-5590 Home (IOTA) e-mail dunham@starpower.net