Occultation event with (3451) Mentor, event index number 3419
Regions able to see the event: Australia
Geocentric closest approach at 2026/03/13 12:07:09 UTC
J2000 position of star is 04:38:36.1 -01:39:24
Equinox of date position of star is 04:39:55.7 -01:36:23
Star is 133 degrees from the moon. Moon is 31% illuminated.
Stellar brightness G=12.5, apparent brightess of occulting body is G=14.3
Use an exposure time of 0.12 seconds with the standard RECON-QHY system.
SNR of 14.8 per integration for unocculted signal
Expected flux drop is 84% with SNR of 12.4 for the occulted depth (per occulted point)
Apparent velocity is 21.8 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 19.5 arcsec/hr.
Position angle of asteroid motion is 55.0 degrees
The recommended exposure time corresponds to 2.6 km per image.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 1.0 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 29.8 km.
The sky-plane scale is 4023.4 km/arcsec.
Diameter estimates:
122.5 km assuming a 5% albedo, maximum of 5.6 sec for a central chord
50.0 km assuming a 30% albedo, maximum of 2.3 sec for a central chord
Cross-track diameter of 126.3 km used for deployment plan.
Star training set for 3451_Mentor, (2026/03/13 12:07UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Rigel 05:15:47.9 -08:10:24 0.1 11.08 135 67Bet Eri 05:09:08.3 -05:03:16 2.8 8.06 136 PPM 175601 04:41:07.2 -01:00:11 6.5 0.67 134 PPM 175605 04:42:16.5 -01:54:05 8.9 0.66 134 PPM 175593 04:39:42.1 -01:53:23 10.3 0.29 133 3451_Mentor 04:39:55.7 -01:36:23 14.3 134 Positions are for equinox of date
Star training set for 3451_Mentor, (2026/03/13 12:07UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Rigel 05:14:32.3 -08:12:06 0.1 11.08 135 67Bet Eri 05:07:50.8 -05:05:13 2.8 8.06 136 PPM 175601 04:39:47.2 -01:03:09 6.5 0.67 134 PPM 175605 04:40:57.1 -01:57:01 8.9 0.66 134 PPM 175593 04:38:22.6 -01:56:25 10.3 0.29 133 3451_Mentor 04:38:36.1 -01:39:24 14.3 133 Positions are for J2000