Attempted Observations of the 2009 Occultation of a Star by Nix

Details Attempted Observations of the 2009 Occultation of a Star by Nix Attempted Observations of the 2009 Occultation of a Star by Nix

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21460601p&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #214, #606.01

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We attempted to observe the predicted 4 March 2009, 13:56 UT, approximately 6-second-long occultation of an 11th magnitude star by Pluto's small moon Nix, which is fainter than 23rd magnitude. In parallel starlight, the path was 88 km in width with a one-sigma range from 44 km to 110 km. The Tycho star is at 18 12 09.86 17 42 03.3 (J2000.0), and has R=11.8 and K=10.4. The occultation path was predicted to cross the Hawaiian islands, with a southern boundary cutting through Maui and missing the telescopes on Mauna Kea, but the uncertainty in the prediction (1 sigma) was about 500 km (though only 5 minutes in time). The path's speed was 15 km/s. In the event, we obtained data only from the 2-m Faulkes telescope on Maui, with uneven skies. Our trailed images did not show evidence of the occultation, which would have dropped the observed intensity at the merged star/Nix position by about 12 magnitudes or, more likely, if Nix and Pluto were merged by about 3 magnitudes. Weather prevented observations with MegaCam on the CFHT, with a MIT POETS on the IRTF, with PanSTARRS on Maui, as well as with an 0.4-m telescope at Windward Community College on Oahu. For administrative reasons, we did not succeed in obtaining data with the 3.7-m AEOS telescope on Maui. In any case, the event was at low altitude, only 21°, so pointing was at the limits for several of the telescopes.
Our collaboration between Williams College and MIT is with J. L. Elliot and M. J. Person at MIT and B. A. Babcock and S. P. Souza at Williams. We thank C. Veillet in Paris, J. Ciotti, M. Kessler, and G. T. Elliott on Oahu, and L. Young and M. Buie in Boulder for their collaboration. JMP's work on Pluto is supported in part by grant NNX08AO50G from NASA's Planetary Science Division and MIT's by NNX07AN63G.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Attempted Observations of the 2009 Occultation of a Star by Nix does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Attempted Observations of the 2009 Occultation of a Star by Nix, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Attempted Observations of the 2009 Occultation of a Star by Nix will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1766591