P20140723 Occultation July 23, 2014

(last updated 2014 07 10)

observer notes / finder charts

 

Across the globe pictured above, the three solid lines correspond to the northern limit, centerline, and southern limit of Pluto's shadow. The northern and southern limits correspond to a radius of 1400 km. The upper and lower dashed lines indicate 3-sigma errors. The shaded area represents where the sun is more than 0 degrees below the horizon.
Table 1: Prediction Details
Pluto Geocentric Mid-time (yyyy month dd hh:mm:ss)

2014 July 23 11:23:08± 00:00:421 UT

Pluto Minimum Geocentric Separation 0.289± 0.0391 arcsec
Position Angle (Pluto relative to the star; measured north through east) 169.82 degrees
Geocentric Velocity 22.53 km/sec
Occultation Star USNO-B R magnitude 16.02
Measured Magnitude (from USNO 61-inch frames) 17.3

1One standard deviation of random error.
2The UCAC bandpass (579-642nm) is between V and R.


Table 2: Reference Star Position
Reference star position:
(USNOB, at epoch of event)
RA (h:m:s; J2000) Dec (d:m:s; J2000) Notes
P20140723 Catalog 18 49 32.5393± 0.2740 –20 22 21.750± 0.170
P20140723 Measured3 18 49 32.4884± 0.0156 –20 22 21.793± 0.006
USNO 61-inch Telescope frames. See note 4.
Table 3: Projected KBO Offsets from Reference Ephemeris at the Time of the Event
Body RA (arcsec) Dec (arcsec)  
Pluto

+0.0207± 0.0381

+0.029± 0.040 See Notes 5 and 6

3Measured position corresponds to RA offset of –0.7163'' and Dec. offset of –0.0428''.

4All "offsets" are defined in the ("corrected" – "reference") or ("observed" – "calculated") sense. The offsets should be added to reference positions to get the measured positions, which we use to calculate the prediction.

4Data analyzed using UCAC2 reference network. A weighted average of the data from the two telescopes was used to calculate the RA and DEC. The errors given are 1 standard deviation.

5The reference positions for Pluto and Charon are those given by JPL Horizon's ephemeris (Pluto source file: PLU043; Earth center source file: DE431). Our residual model is based on the assumption that the same offsets in RA and Dec apply to both Pluto and Charon.

6Data from the USNO 61-inch, Lowell 42-inch telescope, SARA-South 24-inch telescope, and Lowell Astrograph telescopes over the span of 5 years were reduced with respect to stars in the UCAC2 catalog. A model was developed to fit the residuals obtained from our measured positions compared to that of the object's JPL ephemeris. All residuals obtained from the different telescopes were consistent with the model. The model includes the first-order effects of errors in the orbital elements of Pluto: (i) constant offsets in RA and Dec, (ii) linear (in time) offsets in RA and Dec, (iii) sinusoidal terms with the Earth's orbital period, and (iv) sinusoidal terms with the Pluto-Charon mutual orbit. The model was propagated to obtain the predicted position and error of the Pluto at the time of the occultation. The errors listed for the Pluto are the RMS of the models fitted.

 

Table 4: Site Information

Site
East Longitude
Latitude

Site Altitude6

(km)

Pluto Distance7

(km)

Velocity

(km/s)

Alice Springs
133 52 48
–23 42 02
0.0
6526 N.
22.89
Cairns
145 46 28
–16 55 25
0.01
7299 N.
22.94
Kwajalein
167 29 11
09 10 55
0.0
9802 N.
22.98
LCGTO - Haleakala
–156 15 24
20 42 24
3.054
9887 N.
22.87
LCGTO - Siding Spring
149 03 44
–31 16 17
1.205
5706 N.
22.90
Mt. John
170 27 50
–43 59 22
1.041
4163 N.
22.86
Mt. Stromlo
149 00 35
–35 18 57
0.813
5266 N.
22.89
Toowoomba
151 57 00
–27 34 12
0.690
6099 N.
22.92
Geocenter
----------
---------
center of Earth
6658 N.
22.53

6Altitude of each observatory is measured in kilometers above sea level.

7"Distance" refers to the closest approach distance of the "Site" to the center of Pluto's shadow in the shadow plane. The errors on all closest approach distances are ±910 km (one standard deviation). "S." means the site is south of the center of Pluto's shadow. "N." means the site is north of the center of Pluto's shadow.

Table 5: P20140723 Occultation Predictions for Individual Sites

Site
Pluto
Immersion (UT)9
Pluto
Mid-Time (UT)

Pluto
Emersion
(UT)9

Pluto Altitude
Solar
Altitude9
Alice Springs
-----------
11:25:44
-----------
57
-----------
Cairns
-----------
11:24:57
-----------
67
-----------
Kwajalein
-----------
11:23:01
-----------
60
-----------
LCGTO - Haleakala
-----------
11:20:22
-----------
38
-----------
LCGTO - Siding Spring
-----------
11:24:45
-----------
68
-----------
Mt. John
-----------
11:23:29
-----------
66
-----------
Mt. Stromlo
-----------
11:24:45
-----------
65
-----------
Toowoomba
-----------
11:24:33
-----------
72
-----------
Geocenter
-----------
11:23:08
-----------
-----------
-----------

 

9The errors on all times are ±0:42 (42 seconds; one standard deviation). The solar altitude is given for locations where it is relevant (solar altitude greater than -18°). No entry in the immersion and emersion columns indicates that the occultation is not predicted to be visible at that site.

 


Last updated by Carlos Zuluaga (czuluaga@mit.edu) 2014-07-10 21:23

Please direct all inquiries to PAL (planetary-astronomy@mit.edu)

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