International Occultation Timing Association

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IOTA/ES e.V.
Bartold-
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New Horizons Mission Approaching Pluto.

Occultations will help to monitor Pluto's atmosphere

The Pluto mission "New Horizons" is just a little more than 1 year away from its first destination, the Pluto system. In July next year the flyby will take place.

Therefore the upcoming occultations of bright stars by Pluto are the last chance, to monitor Pluto's atmosphere in the time before the flyby.

IOTA-ES is starting a campaign to observe the most bright occultations by Pluto in the next year.

4 Events are important occultations, the first one can be seen from large part of southern Europe. The last three ones are close after the flyby, but they are included in the campaign.



5th July 2014 15m7 Canaries, S.Europe, N. Africa, Israel, Turkey, Iran

29th June 2015 12m3 Australia, Papua Neuguinea, Reunion, Madagascar

26th July 2015 15m3 Central, Africa, Namibia, Kenia, Mozambique, Western India

26th July 2015 15m6 Central South America, New Zealand

6th Sept. 2015..15m6 N. Australia,
Ne
w Guinea, Pacific, Hawaii



The upcoming occultation of a 15m7 star on the 5th of July 2014 is the only bright occultation by Pluto visible from large parts of Europe in this campaign. Take part in the observation!

More information about this occultation will come up soon on this website.



Preliminary Occultation Tracks

Best prediction available for the moment: (B. Sicardy, F. Riba-Bragas et.al.)

5th July 2014





29th of June 2015





26th of July 2015



26th of July 2015





6th of Sept. 2015



The occultation maps are from Bruno Sicardy's website.