Occultation event with (12444) Prothoon, event index number 4397
Regions able to see the event: Australia
Geocentric closest approach at 2026/10/14 13:35:27 UTC
J2000 position of star is 04:23:54.7 +05:20:57
Equinox of date position of star is 04:25:20.1 +05:24:34
Star is 159 degrees from the moon. Moon is 15% illuminated.
Stellar brightness G=16.7, apparent brightess of occulting body is G=15.4
Use an exposure time of 1.50 seconds with the standard RECON-QHY system.
SNR of 3.0 per integration for unocculted signal
Expected flux drop is 22% with SNR of 0.7 for the occulted depth (per occulted point)
Apparent velocity is 15.4 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 16.0 arcsec/hr.
Position angle of asteroid motion is 34.9 degrees
The recommended exposure time corresponds to 23.2 km per image.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 1.3 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 25.2 km.
The sky-plane scale is 3465.6 km/arcsec.
Diameter estimates:
62.2 km assuming a 5% albedo, maximum of 4.0 sec for a central chord
25.4 km assuming a 30% albedo, maximum of 1.6 sec for a central chord
Cross-track diameter of 63.8 km used for deployment plan.
Star training set for 12444_Prothoon, (2026/10/14 13:35UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Aldebaran 04:37:27.6 +16:33:39 0.8 11.54 169 67Bet Eri 05:09:10.1 -05:03:14 2.8 15.14 146 PPM 147685 04:35:33.9 +05:37:22 5.8 2.55 159 PPM 147540 04:27:22.9 +05:12:34 7.6 0.55 159 PPM 147501 04:25:13.2 +05:26:24 9.5 0.04 159 12444_Prothoon 04:25:20.1 +05:24:34 15.4 159 Positions are for equinox of date
Star training set for 12444_Prothoon, (2026/10/14 13:35UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Aldebaran 04:35:55.4 +16:30:29 0.8 11.54 169 67Bet Eri 05:07:50.8 -05:05:13 2.8 15.14 146 PPM 147685 04:34:08.2 +05:34:08 5.8 2.55 159 PPM 147540 04:25:57.5 +05:09:01 7.6 0.55 159 PPM 147501 04:23:47.7 +05:22:46 9.5 0.04 159 12444_Prothoon 04:23:54.7 +05:20:57 15.4 159 Positions are for J2000