RECON: TNO occultation with 28978

Event between (28978) Ixion and star GA0560:38699274 with event index number of 1480946

Geocentric closest approach at 2026/05/21 03:21:49 UTC

J2000 position of star is 18:38:57.2 -32:20:19
Equinox of date position of star is 18:40:30.7 -32:18:56
Stellar brightness G=16.3, use SENSEUP=128 with the MallinCam and and exposure time of 2 seconds with the QHY174 camera.
Star is 157 degrees from the moon. Moon is 25% illuminated.
Apparent brightness V=19.3

Object is 37.5 AU from the Sun and 36.7 AU from the Earth.
Apparent velocity is 18.7 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 2.5 arcsec/hr.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 582 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 3826 km.

The object has an absolute magnitude Hv=3.5
Diameter=1148.2 km assuming a 5% albedo -- 65.2 sec chord
Diameter=468.7 km assuming a 30% albedo -- 26.6 sec chord
Dynamical classification is 3:2E
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Star training set for 28978, (2026/05/21 03:22UT)
Object            RA         Dec     mag  sep  mel
Antares        16:31:01.8 -26:29:17  0.9 28.72 130
38Zet Sgr      19:04:17.3 -29:50:24  2.7  5.63 163
PPM 297823     18:32:48.6 -32:58:08  5.1  1.78 155
PPM 297983     18:41:08.0 -32:00:30  8.1  0.32 157
PPM 297984     18:41:08.8 -32:24:00  9.3  0.13 157
28978          18:40:40.3 -32:18:47 16.3       158
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.

Do not use the listing below for the RECON CPC 1100 telescopes. This is provided for other non-team facilities.

Star training set for 28978, (2026/05/21 03:22UT)
Object            RA         Dec     mag  sep  mel
Antares        16:29:24.4 -26:25:56  0.9 28.72 130
38Zet Sgr      19:02:36.7 -29:52:49  2.7  5.63 163
PPM 297823     18:31:04.8 -32:59:22  5.1  1.78 155
PPM 297983     18:39:25.1 -32:02:03  8.1  0.32 157
PPM 297984     18:39:25.7 -32:25:33  9.3  0.13 157
28978          18:38:57.2 -32:20:19 16.3       157
Positions are for J2000

Event circumstances last updated at 2023/12/07 04:25:30 UT

Marc W. Buie, Southwest Research Institute

RECON