2nd Trans-Tasman Symposium on Occultations

Convenor: Dave Gault, Occultation Section, ASNSW
Committee: Dave Herald, Graham Blow, Hristo Pavlov
Date: Sunday March 23 (afternoon), Monday March 24 (all day).

The Astronomical Society of New South Wales and the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand are pleased to announce that the Second Trans-Tasman Symposium on Occultations (TTSO) will be held in conjunction with NACAA 2008. The first TTSO was held in Auckland, New Zealand in July 2007 in conjunction with the RASNZ’s Annual Conference, and was a great success. Now it’s the Aussies' turn.


The full programme for the 2008 event can be viewed here.



Occultations are one of the most dramatic and precise observations an astronomer can make. Whether it be a total lunar occultation, lunar grazing occultation, asteroidal occultation or a solar eclipse, they all involve something moving in front of a star, and they happen in real-time. Observed using modern techniques and equipment, truly astounding measurements can be made to refine and enhance our knowledge of the heavens.

Occultation observing is not a solitary pastime, unlike many astronomy activities. Instead, it takes a team effort to glean the most information from an event. Our team of keen observers is always looking for new recruits, as well as looking for ways to improve and share their techniques and experiences. This is the goal of this Symposium. Come over to the dark side!

Content: The Symposium will consist of a series of talks, demonstrations, and workshops designed to share the knowledge and experience of the presenters. The topics covered will include:

  • Software to predict events and coordinate observations, such as Occult V4 and OccultWatcher
  • How to find the target in time and on time
  • Visual observing techniques and equipment for the eye-ball observer, such as BeeperSync and KIWI-PC
  • Analysing audio recordings using free software such as Audacity
  • Video observing techniques and equipment, for the observer who prefers to use an electronic eye, including discussions to help you to choose a camera, use video time inserters, and recording methods and devices
  • Video analysis: A hands-on workshop on LiMovie
  • Using AviSynth to enhance video recordings
  • Reporting your observations, and our past successes



The workshops will be as "hands-on" as possible, and participants are encouraged to bring a laptop to try out the software demos. All participants will receive a DVD containing the software covered in the workshops.

Contributions: If you wish to contribute to the content of the Symposium, the Convenor and Committee would be delighted to receive submissions for presentations on any topic related to occultations. We would welcome, for example, a poster paper or an oral address concerning a recent observation, or a new computer program you have created. The possibilities are broad.

If you wish to contribute, please advise the Convenor of your interest, and in particular state:


  • Your name and affiliation


  • Title


  • Type of Presentation


  • An abstract of your presentation, at most 50 words.



Please send your email to Convenor@ttso.nacaa.org.au. Submissions close 10th January 2008.

Schedule: The Symposium will start mid-afternoon on Easter Sunday (March 23), and continue all day Easter Monday (March 24) 2008. The final programme can be viewed here.

Registrations: You can register via the NACAA XXIII registration page.