• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2021

The observation of stellar occultations constitutes one of the most important techniques for determining the dimensions and establishing the physical parameters of small Solar System bodies. The most substantial calculations are obtained from multiple observations of the same event, which turns the observation of stellar occultations into highly collaborative work and groups teams of observers through international networks. The above situation also requires the participation of both professional and amateur observers in these collaborative networks. With the aim of promoting the participation of professional and amateur groups in the collaborative observation of stellar occultations, we present the methodology developed by the Astronomical Observatory of the Technological University of Pereira (OAUTP) for the observations of occultations due small Solar System bodies. We expose the three fundamental phases of the process: the plan to make observations, the capture of the events, and the treatment of the data. We apply our methodology using a fixed station and a mobile station to observe stellar occultations due to MBAs (354) Eleonora (61) Danae (15112) Arlenewolfe (3915) Fukushima (61788) 2000 QP181 (425) Cornelia (257) Silesia (386) Siegena and (41) Daphne, and due to TNOs 1998BU48 and (529823) 2010 PP81. The positive detections for the objects (257) Silesia (386) Siegena and (41) Daphne allow us to derive lower limits in the diameter of the MBAs of 63.1 km, 166.2 km and 158.7 km and offsets in the astrometric position (Δαc cos��c, Δ��c) of 622.30 ± 0.83, 15.23 ± 9.88 mas, 586.06 ± 1.68, 43.03 ± 13.88 mas and -413.44 ± 9.42, 234.05 ± 19.12 mas, respectively.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.100.1-100.1
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• 2012

Lunar limb profiles are needed for analyses of lunar occultations and solar eclipses. The lunar limb profile data by C.B. Watts (1963) have been used for such analyses, but it has been found that there are many kinds of errors in the data by Watts, which seriously affected the results obtained from the analyses of the observations. Recently very precise lunar topographic data were obtained by the Japanese lunar explorer Kaguya and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. I obtained lunar limb profiles for any lunar librations from them. I will show how well the lunar limb profiles fit to observed ones from lunar grazing occultations. By combining the accurate lunar limb profiles with observations of lunar occultations we can detect errors in the Hipparcos stellar reference frame. By analyzing Baily's beads timing observations of past total and annular solar eclipses using the accurate lunar limb profiles we will be able to detect solar diameter variations.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.279-291
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• 2014

I show that the WFIRST microlensing survey will enable detection and precision orbit determination of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) down to $H_{vega}=28.2$ over an effective area of ${\sim}17deg^2$. Typical fractional period errors will be ${\sim}1.5%{\times}10^{0.4(H-28.2)}$ with similar errors in other parameters for roughly 5000 KBOs. Binary companions to detected KBOs can be detected to even fainter limits, $H_{vega}=29$, corresponding to R~30.5 and effective diameters D~7 km. For KBOs H~23, binary companions can be found with separations down to 10 mas. This will provide an unprecedented probe of orbital resonance and KBO mass measurements. More than a thousand stellar occultations by KBOs can be combined to determine the mean size as a function of KBO magnitude down to H~25. Current ground-based microlensing surveys can make a significant start on finding and characterizing KBOs using existing and soon-to-be-acquired data.