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Small-Body Occultations

Led by Chris Anderson at the College of Southern Idaho, this project involves photometric monitoring of stars that may be occulted by small bodies, primarily asteroids. Combining the occultation signal (or lack thereof) with the observatory constrains the asteroid shape and size, key for understanding their origins and evolution.

A diagram showing an asteroids path as it passes in front of (occults) the earth. A line across the earth shows the asteroids shadow it casts as it passes by the earth. The position of the viewer on earth will effect how the observer sees the asteroid as it occults earth.
Asteroid Occultation schematic, Image Credit: International Occultation Timing Association

The image above shows how stars occulted by asteroids are seen from Earth. As an asteroid passes in front of a bright star, it casts a shadow on the Earth and from this, the shape of the asteroid can be determined.