Occultation event with (3451) Mentor, event index number 4296
Regions able to see the event: Europe
Geocentric closest approach at 2026/09/24 05:14:50 UTC
J2000 position of star is 06:59:37.3 -01:08:27
Equinox of date position of star is 07:00:58.8 -01:10:47
Star is 131 degrees from the moon. Moon is 93% illuminated.
Stellar brightness G=16.3, apparent brightess of occulting body is G=14.4
Use an exposure time of 1.40 seconds with the standard RECON-QHY system.
SNR of 3.6 per integration for unocculted signal
Expected flux drop is 15% with SNR of 0.5 for the occulted depth (per occulted point)
Apparent velocity is 21.9 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 19.3 arcsec/hr.
Position angle of asteroid motion is 123.9 degrees
The recommended exposure time corresponds to 30.6 km per image.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 0.9 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 30.9 km.
The sky-plane scale is 4089.8 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, (2026/09/24 05:15UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Sirius 06:46:19.6 -16:45:15 -1.5 15.99 122 Alhena 06:39:15.3 +16:22:27 1.9 18.35 128 PPM 176522 06:55:46.1 -01:09:45 5.2 1.30 129 PPM 176604 07:02:17.9 -00:42:32 7.3 0.57 131 PPM 176584 07:01:00.2 -01:04:31 8.6 0.10 131 PPM 176590 07:01:07.7 -01:16:04 10.1 0.10 131 3451_Mentor 07:00:58.8 -01:10:47 14.4 131 Positions are for equinox of date
Star training set for 3451_Mentor, (2026/09/24 05:15UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Sirius 06:45:07.9 -16:43:29 -1.5 15.99 122 Alhena 06:37:42.8 +16:23:56 1.9 18.35 128 PPM 176522 06:54:24.6 -01:07:37 5.2 1.30 129 PPM 176604 07:00:56.1 -00:40:10 7.3 0.57 131 PPM 176584 06:59:38.6 -01:02:12 8.6 0.10 131 PPM 176590 06:59:46.2 -01:13:44 10.1 0.10 131 3451_Mentor 06:59:37.3 -01:08:27 14.4 131 Positions are for J2000