Stellar occultations enable milliarcsecond astrometry for Trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs

0537354 - ASÚ 2021 RIV FR eng J - Journal Article
Rommel, F. L. - Braga-Ribas, F. - Desmars, J. - Camargo, J.I.B. - Ortiz, J.L. - Sicardy, B. - Vieira-Martins, R. - Assafin, M. - Santos-Sanz, P. - Duffard, R. - Hornoch, Kamil - Pravec, Petr … Total 69 authors
Stellar occultations enable milliarcsecond astrometry for Trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs.
Astronomy & Astrophysics. Roč. 644, November (2020), č. článku A40. ISSN 0004-6361. E-ISSN 1432-0746
Institutional support: RVO:67985815
Keywords : occultations * astrometry * minor planets
OECD category: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science)
Impact factor: 5.803, year: 2020
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202039054

We derive 37 precise astrometric positions for 19 TNOs and four Centaurs. Twenty-one of these events are presented here for the first time. Although about 68% of our results are based on single-chord detection, most have intrinsic precision at the submilliarcsecond level. Lower limits on the diameter of bodies such as Sedna, 2002 KX14, and Echeclus, and also shape constraints on 2002 VE95, 2003 FF128, and 2005 TV189 are presented as valuable byproducts.Conclusions. Using the Gaia DR2 catalog, we show that even a single detection of a stellar occultation allows improving the object ephemeris significantly, which in turn enables predicting a future stellar occultation with high accuracy. Observational campaigns can be efficiently organized with this help, and may provide a full physical characterization of the involved object, or even the study of topographic features such as satellites or rings.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0315078