SCIENCE PRIORITY
ASTEROID
OCCULTATION TARGETS
2014/2015
PAUL D. MALEY
IOTA ANNUAL MEETING
2014
BACKGROUND-1
• RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED BETWEEN IOTA AND
SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR LIMITED IOTA
FUNDING OF PRE-DEFINED TRAVEL
• SwRI SELECTS SPECIFIC OCCULTATIONS
• INTENT IS FOR IOTA DATA TO BE USED FOR SPECIFIC SCIENCE
INVESTIGATIONS: 1) KNOWN BINARIES, 2) SIZE & SHAPE
MODEL DEVELOPMENT
• RESULTING DATA SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO SwRI AT SAME
TIME AS EVERYONE ELSE. NO PUBLICATION OF SUCH DATA
WITHOUT COORDINATING WITH SwRI.
• CALL FOR OBSERVERS IS POSTED FIRST
• RESPONSE FROM POTENTIAL MULTISTATION OBSERVERS
EVALUATED FOR FUNDED CANDIDATES
BACKGROUND-2
• SMALL/CHANGEABLE LIST OF TARGETS IDENTIFIED
BY SwRI AS RESEARCH OPPORUNITIES ANNUALLY
• ONLY DOMESTIC USA OCCULTATIONS (currently)
• TARGETS IDENTIFIED AS KNOWN OR SUSPECTED
BINARY ASTEROIDS OR OBJECTS FOR WHICH
MODELS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED OF INTEREST
TO SwRI
• REDUCTION IN FUNDING TO SwRI RESPONSIBLE
FOR SMALLER EVENT LIST THAN PREVIOUS
CRITERIA FOR POTENTIAL FUNDING
• A MINIMUM OF 3 TIME INSERTED PORTABLE
VIDEO STATIONS is REQUIRED!
• SELECTEES NOTIFIED WITHIN TBD WEEKS
BEFORE THE EVENT (SOMETIMES CLOSER)
• FUNDING IS REIMBURSABLE AFTER THE EVENT
ONLY UP TO A PRE-DEFINED ANNOUNCED
LIMIT WHICH MAY VARY FROM EVENT TO
EVENT
• SWRI WILL DECIDE WHICH OBSERVER(S) GETS
FUNDED
• IF FEWER DOLLARS THAN OBSERVERS, SWRI WILL
MAKE THE FINAL DETERMINATION IF AN EVENT
WILL RECEIVE ANY FUNDING
• OBSERVER(S) NEED TO MAKE A COMMITMENT
ONCE NOTIFIED. IF THE CONTACTED OBSERVER
REFUSES, THE NEXT OBSERVER IN SEQUENCE
WILL BE NOTIFIED.
• FUNDING LEVELS / METHODS FOR OBSERVER
SELECTION WILL EVOLVE but will likely be at
fixed amount per observer (e.g. $200 per event
per observer to be spent on allowable expenses
only with receipts submitted)
KNOWN RISKS TO RECEIVING
FUNDING
• WEATHER/UNEXPECTED FACTORS COULD
CAUSE EVENT CANCELLATION
• EXPENSES MAY NOT BE REIMBURSED IF
OBSERVER MAKES UNREASONABLE DECISIONS
OR IS NOT SET UP IN PROPER TIME
• OBSERVERS USE OWN FUNDS INITIALLY
• REIMBURSEMENT OCCURS AFTER THE EVENT
• RECEIPTS FOR EVERYTHING ARE MANDATORY!
OBSERVER CONSIDERATION
• OBSERVER(S) WILL HAVE TO MAKE PRUDENT
DECISION ON WHETHER TO START TRAVEL
PRIOR TO THE EVENT
• IF WEATHER PROBABILITIES FOR SUCCESS ARE
DEEEMED LOW, TRAVEL SHOULD BE ABORTED
• FAILURE TO EXERCISE GOOD JUDGMENT MAY
RESULT IN NO REIMBURSEMENT. IN THAT
EVENT OBSERVER MUST AGREE TO COVER
OWN EXPENSES
SWRI GOALS AND EXPENSES
• OBTAIN THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF VIDEO CHORDS
SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE ASTEROID AND BEYOND
• TRANSPORTATION COULD BE BY CAR, TRAIN, OR
preauthorized AIR
• LODGING
• MEALS (not covered due to potential accounting
issues with observer/SWRI)
• SHIPPING (might be covered)
• REMEMBER: There is a cap for all pre-authorized
expenses for each event
2014 EVENTS
• Nov. 20, 2014 (3) JUNO & HIP4437 MAG 7.0 (RED);
27sec, dM=1.9, no Moon!
• Dec. 13, 2014 (35) LEUKOTHEA & TYC2443-004711 MAG 9.3(RED); 9 sec, dM=3.9, 60% Moon,60 deg
away
PATH OF JUNO
NOV 20, 2014
REGINA
EL 11
WINNIPEG
EL 17
CALGARY
EL 06
THUNDER BAY
EL 22
OTTAWA
SUDBURY
EL 28
MONTREAL,
EL 33
PATH OF LEUKOTHEA DEC. 13
REDDING CA
EL 66
RENO
EL 64
ST GEORGE
EL 59
LAS VEGAS
ALBUQUERQUE
EL 53
MIDLAND-ODESSA
EL 50
AUSTIN
SAN ANTONIO EL 46
2015 BINARY ASTEROID EVENTS
• JAN 11: (1333) CEVENOLA mag 9.7(red); 1.6
sec; dM=4.8; 42 deg from 69% Moon; large
path error but known binary
• APRIL 2: (90) ANTIOPE MAG 10.1 (red); 9 sec;
dM=2.7; 13 deg from 95% Moon; binary
• AUG 23: (107) CAMILLA MAG 10.6 (red); 14
sec; dM=2.9; 13 deg from 54% Moon; binary
CEVENOLA
APRIL 2, 2015 ANTIOPE-1
APRIL 2, 2015 ANTIOPE 2
AUGUST 23, 2015 CAMILLA
SPOKANE EL 21,
SUN -14
OTHER LOWER PRIORITY EVENTS
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JAN 26, 2015: SEMELE
APR 4, 2015: PROKNE
SEP 9, 2015: NAUSIKAA
SEP 13, 2015: VANADIS
OCT 30, 2015: PALATIA