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REPORTING OCCULTATION OBSERVATIONS Timings of total and grazing occultations are collected by the International Lunar Occultation Centre (ILOC) in Japan. While you can send your observations to them directly, we encourage you to send your timings via the Occultation Section's co-ordinator. This enables us to do a preliminary reduction of your timings and to quickly advise you of any problems. It also helps us keep track of how many occultation observations are being made in Australia and New Zealand. After completing a preliminary reduction the co-ordinator then batches your data with others and sends it on to ILOC. You can record your occultation timings in two ways: New total occultation observers (who might want to make one or two observations and then get some quick feedback on how they are doing) can use our simple Total Occultation Report Form which allows you to record one observation at a time. New grazing occultation observers can use our simple Graze Report Form. |
Send these forms by snail mail, or by email to the Section's co-ordinator.
Once you feel confident about making timings we recommend that you record both total and grazing occultation observations in a different way. If you plan to submit observations by snail mail we will send you a copy of our more comprehensive report form, which allows you to record up to 20 observations per sheet. To obtain copies of this form send your postal address to the co-ordinator.
However, we strongly prefer you to send your data as files in the correct format by email or on disk. The shareware program OCCULT will allow you to do this.
Unlike total and grazing occultations, when you monitor a possible asteroidal occultation it is important to make a report whether you see an occultation or not. This is because even if you did not see the event, your observation might still be crucial in determining the diameter of the asteroid. For example, if you were just outside the area in which an occultation was observed, your observation may help define the southern or northern limit of the occultation band, thereby providing a constraint on the deduced size of the asteroid. There are many occasions where such negative observations have been crucial.
Observations you make should be recorded on our Minor Planet Occultation Report Form Excel .xls format With Instrctions., or Minor Planet Occultation Report Form .txt format ,and forwarded to the co-ordinator John Talbot with a copy to Graham Blow. If you see an occultation you should send a report immediately. Otherwise, send your reports in a batch at intervals of not greater than three months.
Please note that these forms are intended only for observers in Australia and New Zealand and Pacific Islands. If you are observing in other regions of the world you should contact your local reporting co-ordinator for correct forms to use.
| Australia/New Zealand | Europe | Japan | North America | Latin America |
All reports received are collated and published in our News Circulars. Where sufficient positive observations of an event are obtained a full analysis is also carried out and published in the astronomical press.