Equipment 

To observe and properly record these events, you will need:

1. a telescope and a method of ascertaining time - eg short wave radio, telephone time signal,
2. a method of keeping time - eg stopwatch, tape recorder application.

Electronic means, for example low light security CCD camera and VCR, 'CCD drift method' are becoming popular.

Purpose And Results

These observations are not made merely for the purpose of intellectual curiosity. Rather they are timed and reported to improve and refine our understanding of the orbits of the various bodies. For asteroidal occultations and lunar grazes, resolution of the profile of the asteroid and lunar limb can be obtained to amazing accuracy, limited effectively by the spacing of the observing stations.

The more common lunar occultations, in particular, can provide unusual events such as stepped occultations and short fades. These can be accounted for by the star being double; very poor ‘seeing’; or a sympathetic slope, particularly for events near the north and south limbs. Occasionally however, previously unrecorded double stars are discovered by this means.

For more information, including details on how to undertake an occultation observation and predictions of upcoming occultations contact the Occultations Section Director.