Explanation of Asteroidal Occultation Observation Lists
New: 2002 February 8The first two lines give information about the asteroid and the occulted star. Folling it is a line giving the coordinates and identification of the first station; an example of this line, with more explanation about it, is given below. Location Code Latitude Longitude Observer # Height Coolidge, AZ O 325730. -1113915. Allen Morton, C14 video 6 450. Code specifies the form of the lat. and long. (negative w. of Greenwich): O means that the form is +/-DDMMSS.S, or +/-DD deg. MM' SS".S M means that the form is +/-DDMM.MMM, or +/-DD deg. MM'.MMM D means that the form is +/-DD.DDDD, or +/-DD.DDDD deg. The station number is given under #; if the number is in the 200's, a miss (no occultation) was reported and the station is not shown on the plots. An F following # indicates that the Height above sealevel is in feet; otherwise, it is in meters (which is the case for all of these stations). After the station lines are the timings. Four examples of timing lines are given below, with some explanation. B1950 Date U.T. R.A. Star Dec. Ev P.E. Identification, remarks # YearMoDy h m s h m s d ' " 19931009.65910.1 02106.699 -04906.3141 Socorro, NM Etscorn Obs. 1 19931009.65921.2 02106.699 -04906.3142 Socorro, NM Etscorn Obs. 1 19931009.65956.3 02106.699 -04906.31 1 Tucson, AZ Al Vreeland 2 19931009.65956.5 02106.699 -04906.31 2 Tucson, AZ Al Vreeland 2 Ev is Event; P.E. is personal equation, usually reaction time 1 = visual disappearance with observer's estimated P.E. applied 2 = visual reappearance with observer's estimated P.E. applied 11 = 1 with a standard P.E. (not the observer's estimate) applied 12 = 2 with a standard P.E. (not the observer's estimate) applied 21 = 1 with no P.E. applied ("raw" time, as taken from a tape recording) 22 = 2 with no P.E. applied ("raw" time, as taken from a tape recording) 41 = video or photoelectric disappearance 42 = video or photoelectric reappearance 51 = 1, but time shifted to match 41 timings 52 = 2, but time shifted to match 42 timings 61 = 1, but event NOT timed, only an estimate or predicted time is given 62 = 2, but event NOT timed, only an estimate or predicted time is given; If the duration was timed or estimated, then 62 - 61 = the duration. 5 = No occultation observed at this station, just a time to define the path relative to the others 7 = disappearance of 2nd star (if the star is double) 8 = reappearance of 2nd star (if the star is double) 10, 20, 40, 50, or 60 can be added to 6 and 7 events, as above. # is the observer's station number Following the timings for the first station is a blank line, then the station line for the 2nd station, followed by its timings, etc. David Dunham, IOTA, 2002 Feb. 8, adopted from a description written on 1999 July 2, updated from one written on 1998 Oct. 10.