The International Occultation Timing Association


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IOTA AUSTRALASIA

Information Site for Lunar Occultations & Grazes

(click on the RELOAD button to receive the most current version)
All data and charts generated by Occult 4.1.0.x unless otherwise stated

Last Updated 30 January 2015

WARNING! Information and e-mail addresses contained herein, are for scientific use only. By entering this site, you agree that you will use this data only for lawful purposes and that, under no circumstances will you use this data to: allow, enable,or otherwise support the transmission of mass unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via direct mail, electronic mail, or by telephone.

MISSION STATEMENT

We encourage, promote and facilitate the observation of occultations and eclipses
We provide predictions for grazing occultations of stars by the Moon
and predictions for occultations of stars by asteroids and planets
We also provide information on observing equipment and techniques,
and we report to our members about observations made

IOTA GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

To promote scientific research and discovery using occultation related methods
To conduct research at the local, regional and international level
and to publish results of studies in popular and scientific journals
To stimulate public awareness of astronomical phenomena such as (but not limited to) solar and lunar eclipses and occultations of stars by minor planets, the Moon, and other solar system bodies
To improve lunar profile data through timing of grazing and total occultations
To determine shapes and sizes of minor planets and comets through timing of occultations of stars by these objects
To discover evidence of new, and confirm characteristics of previously discovered, satellites/companions of minor planets

The Value of Lunar Occultation Timings and Observations

Upcoming Occultation Events

Check "Regional Information on Events" below for more information on occultation/graze events for local circumstances

How to read the country codes and prediction format

01 Feb - Occultation of λ Gem - 3.6m - Europe, Asia
06 Feb - Occultation of 58 Leo - 4.8m - Hawaii
10 Feb - Occultation of κ Vir - 4.2m - Australia
25 Feb - Occultation of δ1 Tau - 3.8m - e central Africa, Madagascar
25 Feb - Occultation of δ2 Tau - 4.8m - central Africa, n Madagascar
25 Feb - Occultation of 75 Tau - 5.0m - n Europe, n Asia
25 Feb - Occultation of α Tau - 0.9m - Scandanavia
26 Feb - Occultation of 111 Tau - 5.0m - Scandanavia, nw Asia
01 Mar - Occultation of λ Gem - 3.6m - w Europe, w Africa, e Canada, e USA
03 Mar - Occultation of α Cnc - 4.3m - n Canada, e Europe, Scandanavia
09 Mar - Occultation of κ Vir - 4.2m - s Africa

2015 Predictions

2015 Worldwide Total Occultations of Bright Stars
2015 Occultation of Planet by the Moon
2015 Total Occultations of Bright Stars for 40 North American Cities
2015, April 4th Lunar Total Eclipse Occultations
2015, September 28th Lunar Total Eclipse Occultations
2015 RASC Handbook Graze Tables/Charts (.pdf)

Interactive maps for North American grazing occultations-Including forms & procedures for reporting lunar total and grazing occultation observations

Eclipse Maps and Weather
Eclipse Information from Eclipse-Chasers.com

Asteroid Occultation Information

Steve Preston's World Wide Prediction Site
Derek Breit's Regional Asteroid Path Maps for USA
North American Asteroidal Reference Homepage
Asteroidal Occultation Results for North America
Worldwide Results Home Page
Report Form For Asteroid Observations

Lunar Impacts and IOTA

NASA/Marshall main lunar impacts Web site
B. Cudnik's ALPO lunar meteor impacts Web site
D. Dunham's Impact Page (historical, 1999 & 2001, & earlier efforts)
G. Varros's Web site (good for equipment & his observations)
Yahoo Egroup Site for Lunar Impacts

Helpful Information

I.O.T.A.'s Members Site Site
I.O.T.A. Membership Application
IOTAoccultations@yahoo.com - Discussion Maillist
"Chasing the Shadow: The IOTA Occultation Observer's Manual
The Occultation Observer's Handbook by Robinson & Povenmire
NWS Current Weather & Forecasts
Time Conversion Tables - UTC to Local for USA
World Time Zone Map
IOTA Annual Meeting Minutes
Sky & Telescope's Occultation Page
Links to Other Occultation Sites

Occult Software and Related Information

Occult version 4.2.0 Prediction Software
Lunar Report Generator
occult-software@yahoo.com - Discussion Maillist
How to Use Occult 4 to Predict Comet Occultations
The ZC Star Catalog (not to be interfaced with Occult)
Expanded Site Files

OccultWatcher - A free software program designed by Hristo Pavlov to help asteroidal occultation observers to stay tuned with the latest predictions published by Steve Preston on his web site. The program monitors the site and downloads the new or updated predictions when they become available

Basics of Total Occultations

Basic Information and How to Obtain Predictions
BeeperSync - An Alternative WWV Internet Based Timing Source
How to Report Observations
The Prediction Format for Total Occultations - [pdf format]
The Value of Total Lunar Occultations
Timing & Location Accuracies for Observations
A Simulator for Reaction Time by Doug Kniffen
Mapping Services and Software for Determining Coordinates

Basics of Grazing Occultations

The Grazing Occultation
IOTA Standard Stations
North American city coordinates
Limb Profiles of the Moon by Mitsuru Soma
Archive of Observed Graze Profile Reductions

Regional Information on Events
all these are external links

Mid-Atlantic Occultations - D. Dunham
Kansas-Missouri Area - R. Sandy
Upper Midwest- MN, IA, ND, SD and WI
San Francisco Bay Area - D. Breit
Houston Area - P. Maley
UK Asteroidal and Lunar Occultation Predictions - Tim Haymes
Occultations for Belgium, France, Spain, and Portugal - J. Schwaenen
Dr Salvador Aguirre's Occultation Yahoo Group for Mexico
Greater China Area by W. C. Yue (in Chinese)
Brazil by Breno Loureiro Giacchini (in Portuguese)
Sitio oficial de ocultaciones de la Liada y IOTA

If you have a local URL for your area, send information to the webmaster for inclusion

Use of Video on Timing Events A Light Weight Portable Video Setup - by R. Nugent
Richard Nugent's System - by D. Dunham
Tom Heisey's Video Setup (PDF)
"Millisecond Video Timing for the Masses" by S. Herchak
Finding Limiting Mag for Visual/Video Camera Observations

LiMovie measurement tool for video occultations
LiMovie measurements made by the author
(note: with IE right click the page & select the translation option)

Other Sources of Information Mitsuru Soma's Listing of Reported Grazes
Richard Wild's Listing of Reported Grazes

Miscellaneous Stuff Miscellaneous Programs and Patches
I.O.T.A. Tax Information/Expense Report [pdf format]
Additional Reference Reading Material

astronomylinks.com
astronomy and space links, shortcuts, favorites and bookmarks.

This site maintained for IOTA by Rob Robinson, Bonner Springs KS
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Send comments and mail to I.O.T.A. President, David Dunham, Greenbelt MD
IOTA Administration, email I.O.T.A.

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