Occultation event with (16956) 98MQ11, event index number 3164
Regions able to see the event: Europe
Geocentric closest approach at 2026/01/21 21:09:05 UTC
J2000 position of star is 01:58:12.6 -19:40:55
Equinox of date position of star is 01:59:26.6 -19:33:21
Star is 50 degrees from the moon. Moon is 10% illuminated.
Stellar brightness G=16.3, apparent brightess of occulting body is G=16.1
Use an exposure time of 0.75 seconds with the standard RECON-QHY system.
SNR of 3.0 per integration for unocculted signal
Expected flux drop is 46% with SNR of 1.4 for the occulted depth (per occulted point)
Apparent velocity is 22.6 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 22.9 arcsec/hr.
Position angle of asteroid motion is 36.7 degrees
The recommended exposure time corresponds to 16.9 km per image.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 1.5 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 17.3 km.
The sky-plane scale is 3558.1 km/arcsec.
Diameter estimates:
42.7 km assuming a 5% albedo, maximum of 1.9 sec for a central chord
17.4 km assuming a 30% albedo, maximum of 0.8 sec for a central chord
Cross-track diameter of 38.6 km used for deployment plan.
Star training set for 16956_98MQ11, (2026/01/21 21:09UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Fomalhaut 22:59:05.1 -29:29:01 1.2 41.94 21 68Omi Cet 02:20:39.9 -02:51:38 2.0 17.48 55 57 Cet 02:00:59.8 -20:41:56 5.2 1.20 50 PPM 244442 01:57:02.9 -20:26:13 8.2 1.05 49 PPM 210910 01:59:58.8 -19:38:22 9.5 0.15 50 16956_98MQ11 01:59:26.6 -19:33:21 16.1 50 Positions are for equinox of date
Star training set for 16956_98MQ11, (2026/01/21 21:09UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Fomalhaut 22:57:39.7 -29:37:24 1.2 41.94 21 68Omi Cet 02:19:20.8 -02:58:46 2.0 17.48 55 57 Cet 01:59:46.3 -20:49:28 5.2 1.20 50 PPM 244442 01:55:49.1 -20:33:49 8.2 1.05 49 PPM 210910 01:58:44.9 -19:45:55 9.5 0.15 50 16956_98MQ11 01:58:12.6 -19:40:55 16.1 50 Positions are for J2000