Occultation event with (5120) Bitias, event index number 4179
Regions able to see the event: Europe
Geocentric closest approach at 2026/09/05 04:06:47 UTC
J2000 position of star is 04:52:15.4 +42:35:46
Equinox of date position of star is 04:54:08.9 +42:38:20
Star is 17 degrees from the moon. Moon is 40% illuminated.
Stellar brightness G=15.1, apparent brightess of occulting body is G=16.1
Use an exposure time of 0.80 seconds with the standard RECON-QHY system.
SNR of 8.7 per integration for unocculted signal
Expected flux drop is 72% with SNR of 6.3 for the occulted depth (per occulted point)
Apparent velocity is 14.7 km/sec on the sky relative to the star, or, 13.8 arcsec/hr.
Position angle of asteroid motion is 59.6 degrees
The recommended exposure time corresponds to 11.7 km per image.
The 1-sigma error in the time of the event is 0.8 seconds.
The 1-sigma cross-track error in the shadow position is 35.1 km.
The sky-plane scale is 3841.3 km/arcsec.
Diameter estimates:
50.8 km assuming a 5% albedo, maximum of 3.5 sec for a central chord
20.8 km assuming a 30% albedo, maximum of 1.4 sec for a central chord
Cross-track diameter of 48.0 km used for deployment plan.
Star training set for 5120_Bitias, (2026/09/05 04:07UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Aldebaran 04:37:27.3 +16:33:39 0.8 26.32 17 3Iot Aur 04:58:44.1 +33:12:21 2.7 9.48 9 PPM 047447 04:54:41.2 +42:37:44 5.6 0.10 17 PPM 047487 04:56:55.6 +42:58:21 8.4 0.61 17 PPM 047447 04:54:41.2 +42:37:44 5.6 0.10 17 PPM 047433 04:53:52.6 +42:40:11 10.8 0.06 17 5120_Bitias 04:54:08.9 +42:38:20 16.1 16 Positions are for equinox of date
Star training set for 5120_Bitias, (2026/09/05 04:07UT) Object RA Dec mag sep mel Aldebaran 04:35:55.4 +16:30:29 0.8 26.32 17 3Iot Aur 04:56:59.6 +33:09:57 2.7 9.48 9 PPM 047447 04:52:47.7 +42:35:11 5.6 0.10 17 PPM 047487 04:55:01.7 +42:55:54 8.4 0.61 17 PPM 047447 04:52:47.7 +42:35:11 5.6 0.10 17 PPM 047433 04:51:59.1 +42:37:37 10.8 0.06 17 5120_Bitias 04:52:15.4 +42:35:46 16.1 17 Positions are for J2000