Precise Astrometry for Predicting Kuiper Belt Object Occultations

Details Precise Astrometry for Predicting Kuiper Belt Object Occultations Precise Astrometry for Predicting Kuiper Belt Object Occultations

Aug 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010noao.prop..536s&link_type=abstract

NOAO Proposal ID #2010B-0536

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

In order to observe an occultation of a bright star by a Kuiper Belt object the event must first be predicted as to where and when it will happen. These predictions require precise astrometry every few months of the largest Kuiper Belt objects. Through the occultation events the diameters, possible companions and possible tenuous atmospheres around these objects will be explored by examining how the light from the star varies as the KBO passes in front of it. We have now observed our first ever KBO occultation, with KBO 55636 in October 2009. The results are now in press at Nature. We propose to continue to obtain very precise astrometry on the known brightest KBOs to determine more accurate orbits and thus reliable occultation predictions. In addition, we must also obtain accurate astrometry on faint field stars that the KBOs of interest may occult.

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