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
20250104 74414 1999AN9 negative, reported
20250106 44296 1998QM90 positive, possibly double, still examining
20250107 13555 1992JB2 positive, not reported yet
20250107 15440 Eioneus no observation,recorded but target not visible in recording
20250107 50428 Alexanderdessler negative, likely undetectable, not reported yet
20250107 80071 1999JR97 no observation, blocked by trees
20250110 1303 Luthera recorded, unreduced
20250111 1736 Floirac recorded, unreduced
20250111 47511 2000AN60 recorded, unreduced
20250112 161122 2002RH21 recorded, unreduced
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. I have not reduced mine yet.
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 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..
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. All, unreduced. 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, possible fade, unreduced.
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. Unreduced and probably "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, unreduced. 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. Kirk got recording, unreduced.
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 recording at foot of Natural Bridges St near West Cliff. Kirk had align troubles and probably not on target for his recording, at entrance to Long Marine Lab.
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, probably miss, but not sure.
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 reservoir off Spring St. I was at the dam end on south side of lake, 20 ft from extension of the dam where it intersects the St. I got a ~4-5s 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
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
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
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 from home, unreduced.
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.
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 got recordings. Karl did not try; path not close to him.
Jan 20, 2025 - Mon 12:34:31am - Occultation of a W=12.3 Star by Leila, 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 past Leila.
