Pluto-Charon stellar occultation candidates: 2000-2009

被引:18
作者
McDonald, SW [1 ]
Elliot, JL [1 ]
机构
[1] MIT, Dept Earth Atmospher & Planetary Sci, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
关键词
astrometry; occultations; planets and satellites : individual (Charon; Pluto);
D O I
10.1086/301312
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
We have completed a search for candidates for occultations by Pluto and Charon over the years 2000 through 2009. Using the DE405 ephemeris and the Plu006 orbit model for Pluto and Charon, we searched for stars that lie within 1.''0 of their respective apparent motions. The images used were CCD strip scans taken at the George R. Wallace Astrophysical Observatory, reaching a depth of 15th to 17th magnitude. As Pluto-Charon enter the Galactic plane, a dramatic increase in the number of stellar appulses will occur. We identify 486 appulses by Pluto and 479 appulses by Charon over this period, with the frequency peaking in 2007. Further astrometry will be necessary to determine which of these appulses will have minimum separations small enough (less than 0.''134 for Pluto or 0.''31 for Charon) to produce an occultation visible from Earth.
引用
收藏
页码:1999 / 2007
页数:9
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