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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1851      2003 Feb 12 15.41UT
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.theastronomer.org
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OCCULTATION OF SAO 134182 BY (663) GERLINDE, 2003 FEB 13
Richard Miles reports:
During the early evening of Thursday, February 13, a bright star
(SAO 134182, V=9.0) will be occulted by the minor planet, (663)
Gerlinde as seen from a large part of the UK and from part of
Europe and elsewhere.

High-precision astrometry shows that the path runs over India
~19:33.5 UT, middle East ~19:42.5 UT, Cyprus ~19:435 UT, Croatia
~19:47.0 UT, Slovenia ~19:47.3 UT, NE tip of Italy ~19:47.6 UT, W
Austria ~19:47.6 UT, SW Germany ~19:48.0 UT (Munich just north of
path), NE corner of France ~19:48.4 UT (Strasbourg and Lille in
path), Belgium ~19:48.7 UT (Brussels in path), central England
~19:49.5 UT and finally north Ireland ~19:50.0 UT.

Full details including finder charts can be found at:
http://sorry.vse.cz/~ludek/mp/updates/0213ger.html

This event is one of the most favourable in 2003.  The asteroid is
about 4.7 mag (i.e. almost 100 times) fainter than the star (also
designated TYC 4814 0668), which will therefore appear to disappear
entirely as seen using a medium-sized telescope.  The maximum
duration of any such disappearance is expected to be about 14
seconds.  Seen from the UK, the star is reasonably high in the sky
(altitude = 28-32 deg, azimuth = 141-144 deg).

The weather forecast for the UK on Thursday evening is quite good
although an almost (88%) full Moon is about 27 degrees north of the
target star in Monoceros, which will make locating the star a
little more difficult. Please allow extra time for this.

The actual shadow track as it crosses the UK will subtend a width
of about 150 km and given the uncertainty in the position of the
track, the occultation could be witnessed by observers anywhere in
England (apart from Cornwall), southern Scotland, northern Ireland
and northern parts of Eire. Observations aimed at timing the
disappearance and reappearance of the star should start at 19:45 UT
and end about 19:53 UT.  The expected time of the event seen from
the UK is during the period 19:49-19:50 UT but be prepared to
witness any short-duration secondary event as there is always a
possibility that the system is a binary asteroid.

Please send results of any observations (positive or negative) to
myself at: rmiles@baa.u-net.com
and I shall collate them and forward them on to IOTA and EAON.
N.B. This event has the makings of the most well-observed ever to
be witnessed from the UK.
Do make sure that you identify the correct star, namely SAO 134182,
located at:
RA(2000):-  07h 06m 02s,
Dec(2000):-  MINUS 1deg 18.2min.

Editor: In addition to your reports to Richard, please also e-mail
details to myself.

Guy M Hurst