2020 events
Sat 11th
11:00-15:00
Occultation Observing 101, 2020 style
Stephen Russell, et al.
NACAA, CWAS, ASNSW
Observing occultations provides insights into the size and composition of asteroids, the structure of planetary rings, the orbital dynamics of planetary systems, and the atmospheres of comets, planets, and their satellites.
The techniques and technology for observing occultations have changed enormously in the last twenty years. The old days of lunar grazes and audio recordings of VNG are long gone. New cameras, new software, new timing sources, new recording devices, new data sources for predictions, etc., have all changed how you select, plan, record, analyse, and report occultation events. That's a lot of new choices to make when picking the "best" approach for you.
This workshop will present an up-to-date explanation on how to do occultation observing, and will try to make the new choices clearer.
Stephen has been interested in occultations since observing a lunar graze next to a graveyard in Goulburn in the 1970s. Since then, he has observed and recorded many lunar and asteroidal occultations. Alas, life has intervened more and more over the years, and his observing has dwindled. These days he's designing the observatory for his new house in Orange, and hopes to get back to observing sometime this decade.