RECON: TNO occultation with 28978

Event between (28978) Ixion and star UC4-309-127744 with event index number of 80957

Geocentric closest approach at 2017/05/05 05:42:01 UTC

J2000 position of star is 17:39:52.9 -28:14:24
Equinox of date position of star is 17:40:54.4 -28:14:52
Stellar brightness R=12.5
Star is 105 degrees from the moon. Moon is 72% illuminated.
TNO apparent brightness V=19.7

TNO is 39.7 AU from the Sun and 39.0 AU from the Earth.
The TNO is moving 18.0 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 2.3 arcsec/hr.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 239 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 2135 km.

The TNO has an absolute magnitude Hv=3.6
Diameter=1148.2 km assuming a 5% albedo -- 63.8 sec chord
Diameter=468.7 km assuming a 30% albedo -- 26.1 sec chord
Dynamical classification is 3:2E
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Star training set for 28978, (2017/05/05 05:42UT)
Object            RA         Dec     mag  sep  mel
Antares        16:30:28.4 -26:28:09  0.9 15.74  89
34Ups Sco      17:31:56.7 -37:18:29  2.7  9.26 103
3 Sgr          17:48:39.2 -27:50:09  4.2  1.74 107
PPM 267134     17:41:48.6 -27:54:04  8.5  0.39 105
PPM 267135     17:41:51.6 -28:02:17  8.9  0.29 105
28978          17:40:58.6 -28:14:54 12.5       105
Positions are for equinox of date

Azimuth is measured in degrees eastward from north. North is at an azimuth of 0, due East is at an azimuth of 90 degrees, due South is 180, and due West is 270.

Event circumstances last updated at 2016/03/20 17:21:08 UT

Marc W. Buie, Southwest Research Institute

RECON