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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1238      1997 Oct 02 18.54UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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OCCULTATION OF PPM 46655 BY 89 JULIA 1997 OCTOBER 3/4
Richard Miles e-mails:

This large 159 km diameter object is predicted to occult the star,
PPM 46655 (V=8.9 approx.) located at:
RA(2000): 3h 56m 46s  Dec(2000) +44deg 51'26"
at 22:48-23:10 UT, mid-time (from the UK) = 23:00 UT

The duration of the occultation event is expected to be VERY LONG,
up to a maximum of about 26 seconds.

The star may dip in brightness by about 1.6 magnitudes (roughly
4-fold).
The asteroid should be easily visible before and after the close
appulse at around V=10.3.  It also subtends a relatively LARGE
0.146 arcsec on the sky. CCD observers are encouraged to make
astrometric measurements during the appulse so that the actual path
of the shadow can be determined.

Note that from the UK, the event takes place at a very favourable
altitude above the horizon in the range, 43-51 deg.  The azimuth of
the event as seen from central England is about 75 deg. The Moon
will be set and so will not interfere with observations.

Visual observers and those equipped with CCDs or photoelectric
photometers are encouraged to attempt this event.  The width of the
shadow track if coincident with the UK will extend about 200 km.
Currently the shadow is predicted to track north-west passing over
the Pyrenees, the Bay of Biscay and west of Ireland.  However the
path may shift in practice and pass over a large part of the U.K.

A finder chart is available at:
http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~baa/89.gif

Guy M Hurst