2025 Astro Past Events
Kirk Bender update since 12/7:
20241207 1538 Detre positive, reported
20241210 55071 2001QE86 negative, reported
20241218 50769 2000FH3 positive, reported
Jan 5 Sun - Occultation of a 11.6 by 1998 QM90 from SC and SC Mtns. Good event. Planning and Results Page. Results: Kirk and I both got recordings.Kirk got pos at "the Berm", I at SkyPark had either a miss or a very short event; sent in as 'unsure'.
Jan 6 Mon - I give a talk on nuclear power, to a crowd who's just watched an anti-nuke film "Atomic Bamboozle". Stephen Williams will help here. Pauline Seales has reserved it, at the Louden Nelson Center. My Website with links to SCCAN page recording of our talks
Jan 6, Mon - Occultation of a 14.6 Star by 1992 JB2. Through Santa Cruz. Lasts over 1 sec so maybe with integration it's do-able. Planning page. Results: I rushed home from my talk, only had time to iPhone photo the C2A quick page, which was not properly image reversed, and was unable to ID the field in time. I got no data. Kirk got a positive. Karl did not try as it was too far away.
Jan 9 Thur eve - Plieades occultation on gibbous moon at sunset. Graze of a 6.8 star near Davenport sun -6. Planning and Results page. Results: I drove to the Cemex Cement Plant north of Davenport and got a 4 event graze in bright twilight skies, then rushed home to get the Luthera event. Recorded, saved, unreduced graze.
Jan 9 Thur eve 7:53pm - Occultation of a 13.9 Star by Luthera, Alt=58, Az=80. Dur=6.8s. Wide path includes all of our team, best is Karl. Planning and Results Page. Results: I got a ~5s positive from the east side of the Twin Gates bike crossing. Kirk recorded from home, and Karl from home. Karl's unable to see the target on his tape; too tough.
Jan 10 Fri eve -Occultation of a 12.1 Star by Floirac from Santa Cruz and south of Watsonville. Planning and Results page Results: Kirk and I got recordings, I got a 3.5 sigma short event. Kirk got 0.5s event.
Jan 11 Sat morn 1:30:07am - Occultation of a W=14.0 Star by 2000 AN60, from Santa Cruz. Alt=26, Az=291 12d right of Plieades. 23 deg from moon. 1.1s duration. Planning and Results page. Results: Kirk and I got recordings, I from Monte Rd, he from home. Both of us got either a miss or just "too tough".
Jan 12 Sun morn 1:04am - Occultation of a W=13.7 Star by 2002 RH21, from Santa Cruz. Planning and Results page. Results: I observed from home, got a recording. Very faint, most consistent with a miss. Moon 37 degrees away and sky bright, but mostly the star was just bloody faint and the duration only 0.6s didn't allow long integrations. I went with 8x, detected 0.32s positive. Kirk got a short positive.
Jan 13 - Mon eve. Occultation of Mars at opposition, on full moon. Video opportunity again. at Alt=8 and 17 deg. Results: KIrk and I got imaging from the Pogonip Overlook at UCSC. I got video of D and R and other shots. Kirk got video of the R.
Jan 13 - Mon eve. Occultation of a 12.0 Star by Ikeda. Moon only 20 deg away. Lasts 0.7 Alt=47, Az 122, but must be at Natural Bridges to have decent shot at a positive. Kirk on northern limit. Karl no. Planning and Results page. Results: I got a solid miss at foot of Natural Bridges drive near West Cliff. Kirk had align troubles and not on target for his recording, at entrance to Long Marine Lab. Path not close to Karl.
Jan 13 - Mon 11pm - Occultation of an W=11.5 star by 2001CP17, from northern Santa Cruz, including Empire Grade, not for Karl. Planning and Results page . Results: I observed from Ocean St. Extension at the cemetery. Got a good recording at 2x. Kirk and I both got a 'miss'.
Jan 14 - Comet G3 ATLAS - Perihelion and the day after; best days to try to get a photo. Pix page
Jan 14 - Tue morn 12:48am - Occultation of a 12.8 Star by Aralia, from all of SC and SC Mtns. 7.0s duration. Alt=25 Az 297 in NW, in Triangulum. Planning and Results page. Results: I observed from the Westlake Park, off High St. I was at the dam end on south side of the lake, 20 ft from extension of the dam where it intersects the St. I got a 6.3s positive. Karl got a 3s positive from water-truck turn, Kirk got it from home.
Jan 15 Wed morn 1:29am - Occultation of a W=12.3 Star by 1999 RJ32 from Santa Cruz. Alt=22, Az=105. Planning and Results page . Results: I got a 1.3s event from home, Kirk got 0.7s event.
Jan 15 Wed eve 8:51:25pm - Occultation of a W=12.1 Star by (8409) Valentaugustus, from Santa Cruz. Alt=36, Az=253. I will plan for Twin Gates site. Kirk can get from home OK. Karl is close enough to the northern limit to be worth trying as even a miss will be helpful. Be sure to include the fact that only 20min later is another good event from the same location. Planning and Results page Results: Kirk and I both got positives, I from Twin Gates, he from home.
Jan 15 Wed eve 9:12:23pm - Occultation of a W=13,9 Star by (1254) Erfordia, from Santa Cruz. Faint, but long duration at 3.8s. Alt=60, Az=108. Planning and Results page Results: I got a positive from Twin Gates. Kirk too, from home.
Jan 15 Wed eve 10:52pm - Occultation of a W=12.9 Star by Leungkamcheung, from West Cliff and out in the Bay. Alt=74, Az=164. Planning and Results page. Results: I got a recording of a miss, from home. No one else tried.
Jan 17 Fri eve 10:41pm - Occultation of an 11.0 Star by 1997 UN10, from Scotts Valley and Sunlit Ln area of Empire Grade. Karl very close to the northern limit. 0.6s duration, Alt=66, Az=194, Orion. Planning and Results page Results: Clouds discouraged Kirk and Karl. I drove up to past Pine Flat on Empire Grade and got a positive, just above the fog.
Jan 18 Sat eve 5:30-9pm - Star Party with Martin Gaskell at Bonny Doon Church. Good evening, had about 35-40 Dooners coming by, including a good number of kids who were really enthusiastic and had a lot of fun. I had the GoTo scope and it had a lot of visitors. Pix Page
Jan 20, 2025 - Mon 12:32:31am - Occultation of an 8.8 Star by 2001 QD35, from north edge of SC, Aptos, Twin Gates. Alt=60, Az=243. Planning and Results page. Only 2.0 min later is Leila! Results: Kirk and I both got recordings, both misses.. Karl did not try; path not close to him.
Jan 20, 2025 - Mon 12:34:31am - Occultation of a W=12.3 Star by Lilaea, from Santa Cruz and SC Mtns at and west of Karl. Planning and Results page. Alt=31, Az=265. Results: Karl and I got data, Kirk couldn't ID target in time, from the tight 2min gap after 2001 QD35.
Jan 21, 2025 - Tue eve 8:22pm - Occultation of a W=14.3 Star for Karl. Dur=0.6s, would require long integration but could well be detectable. Not worth travel, perhaps, but Karl's near centerline. Also passes between BD airfield and Vick Rd. Rank is mediocre. I will not be trying this very difficult event. Planning page
Jan 21 2025 Tue eve 11:44:30pm - Occultation of a 14.1 star by 2001 QA69, from West Cliff. Alt=67, Az=226. The altitude will be higher prior to the event, so be careful and shove the 8SE all the way up, if you want to use the standard f/3.3 or f/6.3 configuration. Planning and Results page Results: Kirk got a 0.53s positive, is our only data. I had electrical connection trouble with VTI, did not fix in time, no data.
Jan 22 2025 Wed eve 7:14:26pm - Occultation of an 11.8 star by Morgado, from SC lighthouse and La Selva. Natural Bridges just inside path too. Planning and Results page. Results: Kirk and I both got positives; I from the SC lighthouse, Kirk from Nat Bridges area.
Jan 23 Thur eve 8:06:48pm - Occultation of a W=13.5 Star by Asteroid 2000 AZ234, from Santa Cruz. Alt=36. Not visible for Karl. Planning and Results page. Results: I got a recording from home of a 0.4s event, Kirk from UCSC a miss. Karl outside path.
Jan 23 Thur eve 9:13pm - Occultation of a 13.0 star by Asteroid 2001 FT163, from UCSC and Ocean St extension. Not visible for Karl. Planning and Results page Results: Kirk got on target. But for me, the high 74 degree altitude did not allow good pointing, despite careful 2-star align. I was not able to ID field, no data. Karl outside path.
FLEX:
Jan 27 Mon 2-4pm - Program Plan workshop Rm 322 you need to do since '25/26 is your year. (reg'd, signed in)
Jan 29 Wed 3-5pm - CTC Welcome, Rm 1400 (reg'd signed in)
Jan 30 - 1:30pm-2pm meeting with Alice F at CfAO
Jan 30 Thur 4-6pm- Reception for FGSS Grants winners, including you. (reg'd, and VRC stamped)
Jan 30 -
you'll have to duck out early to get to dinner with Alice Friedemann and Sandy Faber
Jan 30 Thur 6pm at Leili's on 101 Cooper St, with Alice F, Sandy Faber et al. dinner.
Jan 31 Fri- 9-11:30am NAS Div Day (signed in)
Jan 31 Fri- 2-4pm Astro Dept meeting (not yet reg'd as external)
Feb 4 Tue - 1:45-2:45 at Welcome Table NAS (sat in the rain!)
Mar 21 Fri 1-3pm - ProgPlan meeting.
Jan 28 8:20pm - Occultation of a 13.4 Star by Sterken, from Santa Cruz (not Karl), 1.1s dur, 74 alt due south. Near Crab Nebula. Planning and Results page Results: Kirk and I tried, but too tough at high altitude. Karl not in path. No data.
Jan 28 Tue 11:06pm - Occultation of an 11.1 Star by 2000 CN1 from Ann Pike's place. My place on northern limit. Planning and Results page . Results: I got a recording from home. Kirk could not ID star field in time. Not visible for Karl.
Jan 29 Wed eve 11:44:37pm - Occultation of a 13.4 by 2001 RK118, Karl's just inside northern limit. Not through SC. 0.6s dur. Alt=68, Az 240 Gemini. Tough on such a faint star. Planning and Results page. Results: Only Karl tried this. Very short possible single point occultation, but significance is low.
Jan 30 Thur 8:20:23pm - Occultation of an 11.5 Star by Hildburg, from Santa Cruz and Karl would have to drive to Camp Loma to get inside path. Dur=2.1s, Alt=65, Az=100. Planning and Results page Results: Kirk and I got data, I from home. Unreduced.
Feb 5/6 - Wed eve near midnight; Plieades occultation on 60+ moon. Pix page
Feb 7 Fri 10:23pm - Occultation of a W=13.0 star by Ispahan, from Capitola and Cabrillo, Aptos. Planning and Results page. Results: At Hort Center at Cabrillo, I did not get data, ran out of time. Kirk got a 2s event.
Feb 7 Fri 10:30:45pm - Occultation of a W=10.7 Star by 2004 JM17, from Cabrillo College. Planning and Results page . Results: At Hort Center, at Cabrillo College, I failed to ID field, no data.
Feb 8 Sat eve 7:54:53pm - Occultation of a 12.0 star by 1997 AV5, from Freedom/Hwy 1. Planning and Results page. Results: Got recording, unreduced.
Feb 9 Sun morn 12:41:30am - Occultation of a 13.9 th mag star by the possible binary Centaur 2010 WG9 in California somewhere. or else in the South Pacific. Planning and Results page Results: Very faint at 16x in a very bright sky, My light curve says "miss", but a 1/4s event possible. No data from Kirk or Karl
Feb 9 Sun morn 2:07am - Occultation of an 11.7 Star by Feronia. Visible from home for all of Team Santa Cruz. 6.2s duration, Alt=20, Az=130. Planning and Results page Results: Observed from Sunlit Ln at airfield. Got positive, as did Kirk and Karl.
Feb 9 Sun morn 2:47:04am - Occultation of an 11.0 combined star by Alinda. From Vick Rd, Scotts Valley, and Happy Valley elementary. Not SC. Planning and Results page Results: Got recording from Vick Rd, unreduced
Feb 9 Sun morn 3:14:10am - Occultation of an R=8.0 Star by 2000 AW13, from Vick Rd. alt=49, Az=289 in west. Planning and Results Page. Results: Got a short positive from Vick Rd. Kirk got recording too.
Feb 15 Sat eve 7:57:58pm - Occultation of a W=13.2 Star by Asteroid Shouichi, from Santa Cruz. High rank, Dur=4.7s, Misses Karl, but Sandy, Kirk and I are well within the path. Long duration means it's a good prospect for moonlet hunting and accurate specification of the shape. Planning and Results page
Feb 17 Mon eve 9:42pm - Occultation of a 13.3 Star by (263) Dresda, at Karl's, wide path. long duration 4.7s. Good event. Maybe all of us get together there early for planning, socializing, then de-bark for the occultation? Planning and Results page. Results: Kirk and I got long positives from Mtn Charlie Monument (me) and Garth's (KB). Karl probably successful too.
Feb 20 Thur eve 6:57pm - Occultation of a 13.8 star by 2000 HP41, with north side Santa Cruz city inside southern limit. Twin Gates and "the Berm" better and Carriage Acres on Old SJ Rd. , and Karl's nicely inside the path on the north side, too. Duration = 1.2s. Could be a well observed event if weather is good. Alt=58, Az=86 in Gemini. Planning and Results page
Feb 20 Thur eve 7:31:54pm - Occultation of a 13.5 star by 1997 AU12, from Santa Cruz. Only 34 minutes after the 2000 HP41 event. And the northern limit of this is identical to the southern limit of the 2000 HP41 event 34 minutes earlier! This one is brighter, but shorter. Tough choice. I will ponder. Two events of the 3 are nicely seen from Cabrillo Observatory, the 3rd, in the middle, is too far north to see from Cabrillo. Planning and Results page.
Feb 20 Thur eve 9:18:52pm - Occultation of a W=13.0 star by 2000 RT8, from Cabrillo Hort Hill (or Graham Hill halfway to Felton if fog?). Alt=54. Planning and Results page Results: I got a 0.800s event from Cabrillo Observatory.
Feb 20 Thur eve 10:02:49pm - Occultation of a 13.7 Star by 1999 TB296, from Santa Cruz. Dur=1.2s Alt=75, Az=209. Get from WillowBrook Park, behind the Cabrillo Fitness Club, if no fog. You have to be at Cabrillo to meet Sandy for gear transfer anyway and for the 2000 RT8 event 44 minutes before this event. At best you can pack and get to here, from the Observatory or from Hort Hill more likely Planning and Results page. Results: Kirk got a positive from home. I travelled from Cabrillo Observatory to a freeway frontage rd and set up, but too hard to ID field of this overhead event given the crush of time, only 40 minutes after the 2000RT8 event.
Feb 21 Fri morn 5:01am - Occultation of an 11.6 Star by Trojan Asteroid Hektor. Looks to miss us, but we might get it's satellite. Alt=24, Az=271. Planning and Results page. Only Kirk tried this sleep killer among the clouds. Looks like a miss.
Feb 21 Fri eve 9:21pm - Occultation of a 13.4 star by (59680) 1999 JW102, from Natural Bridges. Alt=35, Az=254 in Taurus. Dur=0.4s. Cabrillo College is inside the 1-sigma zone on the north side. Planning and Results page. Results: I got a 0.32s positive from foot of Natural Bridges Rd. Kirk got a maybe single drop positive from home.
Feb 21 Fri eve 10:57pm - Occultation of a 12.3 Star by () 2005EM118 - from Scotts VAlley. Alt=59. Threads between SC and Karl. But Karl's on the edge of the 1-sigma zone so observing is worthwhile.. Planning and Results page Results: I got a 0.24s positive from Canham Rd, SV.
Feb 21 Fri eve 8pm - Occultation of a 15.8 star by Eioneus - Planning and Results page Results: No data, bad planning.
Feb 23 Sun 10:17pm - Occultation of a W=12.9 Star by new binary asteroid Martschmidt from Santa Cruz area. Planning and Results page. Results: Successful recording by me, Kirk, and Bernard, from near Helm, CA in central valley. Sandy had gear trouble with us. Karl tried from Cabrillo - solid clouds.
Mar 2 Sun eve - Star Party for the public at Hort Hill to see all the planets at one time; Mercury to Neptune. If weather forecast stays good.. Planning and Results Page Results: We had half dozen students on a blustery cloudy/clear night. But we did get to see all the planets, except Saturn which set too soon behind a cloud bank on the western horizon.
Mar 9 Sun eve 11:55pm - Occultation of an 11.8 Star by 2000 WS38, from SC Mtns. Planning and Results page. Results: I drove Kirk and I near the Summit. Kirk got a solid positive, I forgot camcorder gear and got no data. Karl got a recording as well.
Mar 17: Mon eve 8:22:30pm - Occultation of a 12.9 Star by Argentina. South of our sites but we can still look for moonlets IF you are confident you can swing to 2000 SJ276 fast and accurately. Planning and Results page Results: Sandy rained out. Kirk, Bernard, and I got data; misses probably.
Mar 17: Mon eve 8:31:06pm - Occultation of a W=12.9 Star by 2000 SJ276, from south of San Lucas. Inside path of Centaur 2013 LU28 which is 29 minutes later. Planning and Results page Results: I, Sandy, Kirk, and Bernard tried from San Lucas. Only I got data, others rained out.
Mon Mar 17: Mon eve 9:59:57pm PDT. Occultation of a W=14.0 mag star by KBO object 2013 LU28, from Bradley. OWc page. High value target, has ~25 observers already sited. Van H is now reserved for us. Planning and Results page Results: Bernard rained out, Sandy power failure from undersized plug, Kirk and I got positives, near Bradley.
Mar 22 - Occultation of a 14.0 Star by 2000LP35, from Santa Cruz. Alt=28, Az=282 in Taurus just below Plieades. Planning and Results page
Mar 22 - Occultation of a 13.2 combined by Asteroid Jovita, from all of Santa Cruz county. Planning and Results page . Results: I got a definite long positive. So did Karl and Kirk.
Mar 24, 2025 - Mon eve 8:57:49pm - Occultation of a W=11.7 Star by 2001 SU69. Through Scotts Valley, Happy Valley, Alt=39, Az=106 in Leo. Planning and Results page. Results: From entrance to Henry Cowell on Graham Hill Rd, I ID'd the field in the eyepiece, and completely failed to ID stars on the Watec chip. I do not know why.
Mar 24, 2025 - Mon eve 10:03:46pm - Occultation of a 13.1 Star by Asteroid 2000 GN93. Karl near centerline. Too far north for SC. Planning and Results page. Results: I was unable to ID the field of this high-alt target, in either the eyepiece or Watec chip, from Mtn Charlie. Time pressed. Karl says a miss from centerline.
Mar 26, 2025 - Wed morn 1:19:21am - Occultation of a 10.6 star for 6s by Eurynome - from all of SC and SC Mtns. Planning and Results page. Results: I got a successful 5s occ from end of Pine Ridge, barely above the fog. Kirk got similar from Sunlit Lane.
Mar 31 Mon eve 9pm- Graze of 4.7 mag Epsilon Arietis, 1.3" 5.1+5.6 double star, from Livermore area. Good profile, Skies may be clear spot in partly cloudy passages. See Dunham's posts on IOTA Message board. This is after my Dr appt, I may or may not be wanting to do this. It looks like only 1 component will be doing lots of events. Planning page Results: Kirk was willing, if clear, but clouds and local rain convinced me to abandon.
