3 research outputs found
The 2017 May 20 stellar occultation by the elongated centaur (95626) 2002 GZ
We predicted a stellar occultation of the bright star Gaia DR1
4332852996360346368 (UCAC4 385-75921) (m= 14.0 mag) by the centaur
2002 GZ for 2017 May 20. Our latest shadow path prediction
was favourable to a large region in Europe. Observations were arranged in a
broad region inside the nominal shadow path. Series of images were obtained
with 29 telescopes throughout Europe and from six of them (five in Spain and
one in Greece) we detected the occultation. This is the fourth centaur, besides
Chariklo, Chiron and Bienor, for which a multi-chord stellar occultation is
reported. By means of an elliptical fit to the occultation chords we obtained
the limb of 2002 GZ during the occultation, resulting in an ellipse with
axes of 305 17 km 146 8 km. From this limb, thanks to a
rotational light curve obtained shortly after the occultation, we derived the
geometric albedo of 2002 GZ ( = 0.043 0.007) and a 3-D
ellipsoidal shape with axes 366 km 306 km 120 km. This shape
is not fully consistent with a homogeneous body in hydrostatic equilibrium for
the known rotation period of 2002 GZ. The size (albedo) obtained from
the occultation is respectively smaller (greater) than that derived from the
radiometric technique but compatible within error bars. No rings or debris
around 2002 GZ were detected from the occultation, but narrow and thin
rings cannot be discarded.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (8-Dec.-2020), 15 pages, 9 figure
The 2017 May 20 stellar occultation by the elongated centaur (95626) 2002 GZ32
We predicted a stellar occultation of the bright star Gaia DR1 4332852996360346368 (UCAC4 385-75921) (mV = 14.0 mag) by the centaur 2002 GZ32 for 2017 May 20. Our latest shadow path prediction was favourable to a large region in Europe. Observations were arranged in a broad region inside the nominal shadow path. Series of images were obtained with 29 telescopes throughout Europe and from six of them (five in Spain and one in Greece) we detected the occultation. This is the fourth centaur, besides Chariklo, Chiron, and Bienor, for which a multichord stellar occultation is reported. By means of an elliptical fit to the occultation chords, we obtained the limb of 2002 GZ32 during the occultation, resulting in an ellipse with axes of 305 ± 17 km à 146 ± 8 km. From this limb, thanks to a rotational light curve obtained shortly after the occultation, we derived the geometric albedo of 2002 GZ32 (pV = 0.043 ± 0.007) and a 3D ellipsoidal shape with axes 366 km à 306 km à 120 km. This shape is not fully consistent with a homogeneous body in hydrostatic equilibrium for the known rotation period of 2002 GZ32. The size (albedo) obtained from the occultation is respectively smaller (greater) than that derived from the radiometric technique but compatible within error bars. No rings or debris around 2002 GZ32 were detected from the occultation, but narrow and thin rings cannot be discarded. © 2021 2020 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society
The 2017 May 20 stellar occultation by the elongated centaur (95626) 2002 GZ32
We predicted a stellar occultation of the bright star Gaia DR1 4332852996360346368 (UCAC4 385-75921) (mV = 14.0 mag) by the centaur 2002 GZ32 for 2017 May 20. Our latest shadow path prediction was favourable to a large region in Europe. Observations were arranged in a broad region inside the nominal shadow path. Series of images were obtained with 29 telescopes throughout Europe and from six of them (five in Spain and one in Greece) we detected the occultation. This is the fourth centaur, besides Chariklo, Chiron, and Bienor, for which a multichord stellar occultation is reported. By means of an elliptical fit to the occultation chords, we obtained the limb of 2002 GZ32 during the occultation, resulting in an ellipse with axes of 305 ± 17 km à 146 ± 8 km. From this limb, thanks to a rotational light curve obtained shortly after the occultation, we derived the geometric albedo of 2002 GZ32 (pV = 0.043 ± 0.007) and a 3D ellipsoidal shape with axes 366 km à 306 km à 120 km. This shape is not fully consistent with a homogeneous body in hydrostatic equilibrium for the known rotation period of 2002 GZ32. The size (albedo) obtained from the occultation is respectively smaller (greater) than that derived from the radiometric technique but compatible within error bars. No rings or debris around 2002 GZ32 were detected from the occultation, but narrow and thin rings cannot be discarded