Occultation event with (3240) Laocoon, event index number 4572
Regions able to see the event: Europe
Geocentric closest approach at 2026/11/05 20:36:11 UTC
J2000 position of star is 04:55:57.9 +24:38:48
Equinox of date position of star is 04:57:36.3 +24:41:14
Star is 108 degrees from the moon. Moon is 12% illuminated.
Stellar brightness G=15.0, apparent brightess of occulting body is G=15.5
Use an exposure time of 0.95 seconds with the standard RECON-QHY system.
SNR of 9.8 per integration for unocculted signal
Expected flux drop is 62% with SNR of 6.0 for the occulted depth (per occulted point)
Apparent velocity is 13.4 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 14.5 arcsec/hr.
Position angle of asteroid motion is 84.4 degrees
The recommended exposure time corresponds to 12.8 km per image.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 0.5 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 34.2 km.
The sky-plane scale is 3327.1 km/arcsec.
Diameter estimates:
52.7 km assuming a 5% albedo, maximum of 3.9 sec for a central chord
21.5 km assuming a 30% albedo, maximum of 1.6 sec for a central chord
Cross-track diameter of 51.7 km used for deployment plan.
Star training set for 3240_Laocoon, (2026/11/05 20:36UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Aldebaran 04:37:27.9 +16:33:40 0.8 9.39 113 Alnath 05:27:59.5 +28:37:39 1.6 7.85 101 98 Tau 04:59:48.2 +25:05:22 5.8 0.64 107 PPM 093905 04:57:53.9 +24:37:58 7.0 0.09 108 3240_Laocoon 04:57:36.3 +24:41:14 15.5 107 Positions are for equinox of date
Star training set for 3240_Laocoon, (2026/11/05 20:36UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Aldebaran 04:35:55.4 +16:30:29 0.8 9.39 113 Alnath 05:26:17.6 +28:36:22 1.6 7.85 101 98 Tau 04:58:09.4 +25:03:00 5.8 0.64 107 PPM 093905 04:56:15.5 +24:35:32 7.0 0.09 108 3240_Laocoon 04:55:57.9 +24:38:48 15.5 108 Positions are for J2000