Occultation event with (3596) Meriones, event index number 3752
Regions able to see the event: SAfrica
Geocentric closest approach at 2026/05/18 20:29:53 UTC
J2000 position of star is 12:18:49.2 -13:07:40
Equinox of date position of star is 12:20:11.0 -13:16:27
Star is 103 degrees from the moon. Moon is 6% illuminated.
Stellar brightness G=15.3, apparent brightess of occulting body is G=14.7
Use an exposure time of 1.75 seconds with the standard RECON-QHY system.
SNR of 9.9 per integration for unocculted signal
Expected flux drop is 36% with SNR of 3.5 for the occulted depth (per occulted point)
Apparent velocity is 8.6 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 9.1 arcsec/hr.
Position angle of asteroid motion is 106.6 degrees
The recommended exposure time corresponds to 15.1 km per image.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 3.6 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 14.8 km.
The sky-plane scale is 3429.5 km/arcsec.
Diameter estimates:
84.3 km assuming a 5% albedo, maximum of 9.8 sec for a central chord
34.4 km assuming a 30% albedo, maximum of 4.0 sec for a central chord
Cross-track diameter of 87.4 km used for deployment plan.
Star training set for 3596_Meriones, (2026/05/18 20:30UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Spica 13:26:35.2 -11:17:53 1.0 16.34 117 4Gam Crv 12:17:10.0 -17:41:18 2.6 4.47 105 PPM 225705 12:22:17.6 -13:42:42 5.1 0.67 104 PPM 225662 12:20:22.8 -13:41:19 7.9 0.42 104 PPM 225677 12:21:05.2 -13:30:10 9.6 0.32 104 3596_Meriones 12:20:11.0 -13:16:27 14.7 104 Positions are for equinox of date
Star training set for 3596_Meriones, (2026/05/18 20:30UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Spica 13:25:11.5 -11:09:41 1.0 16.34 117 4Gam Crv 12:15:48.1 -17:32:30 2.6 4.47 105 PPM 225705 12:20:55.7 -13:33:56 5.1 0.67 104 PPM 225662 12:19:00.9 -13:32:33 7.9 0.42 104 PPM 225677 12:19:43.4 -13:21:24 9.6 0.32 104 3596_Meriones 12:18:49.2 -13:07:40 14.7 103 Positions are for J2000