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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1374      1999 Jan 09 19.30UT
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 TYC 2904 0849 BY 385 ILMATAR
Richard Miles reports:
There is a good chance that the following event will be visible
from the U.K., Ireland and the Canary Islands:
385 ILMATAR early on Sunday evening, January 10/11

This medium-sized asteroid, some 94 km across, is predicted to
occult the star, TYC 2904 0849 (V=9.64) soon after dusk on Sunday
evening.
Details are as follows:

Location of star: RA(2000): 05h 18m 52s  Dec(2000) +42deg 24'04"

Observational coverage should span 18:17-18:29 UT, with the
expected mid-time (from the UK) = 18:22:42 UT
Event Rating: Favourable

The maximum duration of the event is expected to be about nine
seconds. The star may dip in brightness by about 2.2 magnitudes
(i.e. by a factor of about 7).

Note that seen from the UK, the event takes place at a high
altitude above the horizon in the range, 48-54 deg, and an azimuth
of about 84 deg. The Moon will not have risen and so will not
interfere with observation.

Observers equipped with a telescope of at least 0.15-m aperture are
encouraged to visually monitor this very close appulse /
occultation, using a suitable watch/stopwatch to time a possible
occultation (start and finish).  The star will not disappear
entirely in larger apertures since it will dip in brightness only
seven-fold.

NOTE that the event is predicted for a convenient time and so
observers are encouraged to go out and participate in coverage of
this event.  Indeed, it would be good if a number of people
succeeded in timing an occultation so soon after Hazel McGee's
success on January 06.  I have observed this asteroid
photometrically in the past and found a lightcurve having a large
amplitude (about 0.7 mag) indicative of an object having a rather
unusual shape.

Richard Miles

A finder chart is available at:

http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~baa/385.gif

Watch out for any updates in your e-mail shortly before the
predicted event. Last-minute astrometry may show that the shadow
path has shifted.  My current information indicates that the track
will nominally pass just west of the UK and Ireland.  However,
uncertainties in the asteroid position and star position may shift
the shadow track so as to cross populated areas.

Guy M Hurst