Related papers: Stellar occultations enable milliarcsecond astrome…
In terms of scientific output, the best way to study solar system bodies is sending spacecraft to make in-situ measurements or to observe at close distance. Probably, the second best means to learn about important physical properties of…
Transneptunian objects (TNOs) are a source of invaluable information to access the history and evolution of the outer solar system. However, observing these faint objects is a difficult task. As a consequence, important properties such as…
Stellar occultations provide a powerful tool to explore objects of the outer solar system. The Gaia mission now provides milli-arcsec accuracy on the predictions of these events and makes possible observations that were previously…
We study large trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) using stellar occultations. We derive precise astrometric predictions for stellar occultations by Eris, Haumea, Ixion, Makemake, Orcus, Quaoar, Sedna, Varuna, 2002 TX300, and 2003 AZ84 for…
Stellar occultation is a powerful technique that allows the determination of some physical parameters of the occulting object. The result depends on the photometric accuracy, the temporal resolution, and the number of chords obtained. Space…
The prediction of stellar occultations by Transneptunian objects and Centaurs is a difficult challenge that requires accuracy both in the occulted star position as for the object ephemeris. Until now, the most used method of prediction…
Context: Stellar occultations, greatly enhanced by the publication of the Gaia data releases, permit not only the determination of asteroid size and shape, but also the retrieval of additional, accurate astrometry, with a possible relevant…
The exploration of kilometre-sized trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) is one of the ultimate goals in the search for the origin and evolution of the Solar System. However, such exploration is challenging because these small bodies are too faint…
Distant objects in the solar system are crucial to better understand the history and evolution of its outskirts. The stellar occultation technique allows the determination of their sizes and shapes with kilometric accuracy, a detailed…
Context: Observation of star occultations is a powerful tool to determine shapes and sizes of asteroids. This is key information necessary for studying the evolution of the asteroid belt and to calibrate indirect methods of size…
Within our international program to obtain accurate physical properties of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) we predicted a stellar occultation by the TNO (38628) Huya of the star Gaia DR2 4352760586390566400 (mG = 11.5 mag.) for March 18,…
The Taiwan-America Occultation Survey (TAOS) aims to determine the number of small icy bodies in the outer reach of the Solar System by means of stellar occultation. An array of 4 robotic small (D=0.5 m), wide-field (f/1.9) telescopes have…
The study of the surface properties of Centaurs and Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) provides essential information about the early conditions and evolution of the outer Solar System. Due to the faintness of most of these distant and icy…
A stellar occultation occurs when a Solar System object passes in front of a star for an observer. This technique allows the determination of sizes and shapes of the occulting body with kilometer precision. Also, this technique constrains…
Occultations, the covering up of one celestial body by another celestial body, have been used in astronomy for millennia to learn about the sun and moon. Since 2018, VERITAS has implemented a program to detect predicted asteroid…
Context: Occultations of stars by asteroids are an efficient method to study the properties of minor bodies, and can be exploited as tools to derive very precise asteroid astrometry relative to the target star. With the availability of…
Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are among the most primitive remnants of the early Solar System, and constraining their sizes, shapes, albedos, and surface properties is essential for understanding their origin and evolution. Stellar…
A stellar occultation by a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) provides an opportunity to probe its size and shape. Very few occultations by TNOs have been sampled simultaneously from multiple locations, while a robust estimation of shadow size…
On 28th January 2018, the large Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO) 2002TC302 occulted a m$_v= $15.3 star with ID 130957813463146112 in the Gaia DR2 stellar catalog. 12 positive occultation chords were obtained from Italy, France, Slovenia and…
We explore the potential of an array of O(100) small fixed telescopes, aligned along a meridian and automated to measure millions of occultations of Gaia stars by minor planets, to constrain gravitational signatures from a "Planet X" mass…