Asteroid occultation this Saturday!

[Starfleet]

I haven't seen one yet, but this coming Saturday, at 22:57 UT, asteroid 329 Svea is predicted to occult the 7th magnitude star HIP 26188. This will be a favourable occultation for us Europeans ...and I'm quite excited!!

The star (placed conveniently just above Orion's belt!) will drop by 6.6 magnitudes and fade to mag 13.7 over a period of 9 seconds, so it should make a nice little wink in my 8-inch scope.

Has anyone here seen one before and have any tips for me?

[Demonperformer]

I haven't, but as you say this looks like a great opportunity. Should guarantee at least 18 seconds of cloud around 22.57!

[lukebl]

Hi Starfleet, thanks for the heads up. I'm a sucker for anything asteroidal! The best place to check for these is Asteroid Occultation Predictions (Current). Unfortunately this one looks like it will miss the UK, as this map shows. The path is very narrow.

[Starfleet]

By Jove you are of course brilliantly right, LukeB.

It seems all the rain in Spain does fall on the plains after all! Thanks a lot for that link...I shall look down the list for another. If only the error ellipse had been a little bit wider?

[lukebl]

Another site worth looking at this this one, Asteroid occultation tracks UK 2011, which is more UK-centric. You do have to be fairly lucky to be on the path of the occultation. With most faint asteroids being only a few kilometres across, the path of the occulation is also only a few kilometres wide.

[Spica]

Yeah, it's a go for our Spanish/Portugese friends. What a bummer! We had here in Sweden a occultation last night, but of course it was clouded over. There is good software/freeware to be downloaded for this... Occult 4. Dont know the address right now but I am sure if you Google it...