IOTA campaign for 2021 March 6/7 occultation of 8.4-mag. star by (99942) - New February 20, 4pm EST

Roger Venable's recent message to the IOTAoccultations list

Goldstone radar observations are scheduled for early March that will allow an accurate path update for the event, a day or two before, enabling an IOTA campaign for the event

First, a quick update for everyone about the occultation by Apophis on Sunday night Feb 21-22.

There have been a number of private emails among those who expressed interest in this event. 
The problems with the event include:
1. A relatively short period in which to plan for travel.
2. Only a few observers have committed to travel, perhaps in part 
   due to some other problems on this list.
3. Recent road icings, power outages, and motel fill-ups in Texas.
4. The target star, albeit bright, has a higher than average error in the GAIA data release 3.

Because the 1-sigma uncertainty is about 11 pathwidths [actually more], a major effort for this 
event is only justified if a number of observers can coordinate in it. We do not have such a quorum. 
So, I'll not be driving to Texas to see this one.

However, the next Apophis event, which has a similar path over North America, is coming up on March 7th. 
That star is also bright, at mag 8.4. We expect to have a more accurate star position, better weather, 
a last-minute radar observation of the asteroid to enhance its orbital accuracy, and more lead time so 
that more observers can participate. This means you! 

Please plan if you can for a trip to the western plains for an occultation by this important asteroid. 
As you know, it is an Earth-crosser (now an Aten but expected to convert to an Apollo asteroid after 
its close approach to Earth in 2028. Its orbit cannot be accurately predicted far into the future. 
Occultation observations are the most accurate method of pinpointing an asteroid's location. This is 
important in the modeling of the nongravitational effects (e.g., Yarkovsky effect) that affect its orbit, 
which might determine whether it will someday strike the Earth. So, plan to come on out and save the planet.

-- Roger Venable

DISCLAIMER

It should be undestood that travel for occultations is a voluntary effort, undertaken at your own 
risk. Be safe in your travels, not only with regard to COVID-19 (check local laws and conditions in 
the destination area), but general travel safety. Make sure your vehicle is in good operating 
condition, that you stop and rest, and take other precautions, to remain alert while you drive, 
and slow down or stop in case of bad road conditions - Ice, fog, etc. On an occultation trip in 
January, one of our experienced observers had a tire blow out, causing an accident. Fortunately, 
the other driver was not hurt, the observer has recovered from his minor injuries, and his 
insurance covered all of the damage to the vehicles, but he described it as a "life-threatening" 
situation that could have been much worse if he hadn't been driving 10 mph under the 75 mph speed 
limit. It underscores the truth that safety must be first. IOTA will prepare a more formal 
disclaimer statement soon.

David Dunham, 2021 February 20, 4pm EST
e-mail:  dunham@starpower.net; cell phone:  301-526-5590