105 observations (23 possibly positive) have been performed between April and August, about of 33 events (6 possibly positive) by 72 observers, from the 12 following countries (and numbers of observers) :

BE = Belgium (2), BY = Belarus (1), CZ = Czech Republic (3), DE = Germany (2), ES = Spain (23), FR = France (23),
IT = Italy (10), NL = The Netherlands (1), PL = Poland (2), PT = Portugal (2), RU = Russia (1), 
 UK = United Kingdom (2).

JLX who observed from France and Spain, is counted as a French observer.

You will find in the table hereafter the list of the observers abbreviations in alphabetical order, with the number of observations made by each of them.

aas (Agrupacio Astronomica de Sabadell) observatory  : 41 33 03 N 02 05 25 E +225m

The Bertholda event on the 2003.08.26 is treated in the special INFO n°43.

2003 (April to August) Observations

Observations are usually negative, excepted when otherwise specified. ‘mp’ stands for the minor planet, ‘*’ for the star.
All times are in UTC.

2003.04.04 : (82) Alkmene / TYC 1899-01174-1                    EWB      GCV      MRX      SCB

GCV at Linhaceira N 39 31 22.6 W 08 23 01.5 +90 m

            [mp 0.054" ± 0.056" S  of  * at UT 20:29:50 ± 4 s  from 16 CCD images]

what would correspond to a small south shift (0.2 path width) from J.MANEK update.

2003.04.05 : (438) Zeuxo / TYC 6846-00787-1                       JLX

2003.04.07 : (366) Vincentina / TYC 2423-00187-1               BOL

2003.04.12 : (954) Li / TYC 4940-00154-1                             BOL       DGE       FQS        FRP        MID                                                                                             RGE

2003.04.17 : (407) Arachne / TYC 1368-01752-1                  MDT      FQS        FVL       JNK        MKM                                                                                           RTH

2003.04.26 : (510) Mabella / TYC 0789-01787-1                   NVI

2003.04.28 : (287) Nephthys / TYC 1385-00019-1                 COF       CRB       DBE       RWD

and one positive :

The positive observation together with the negative one by COF reveal a slight shift (0.5 path width) toward south relative to the prediction. QUI was nearly on the real central line, as he registered a chord close to the maximal value (3.3 s).

RWD underwent partly cloudy conditions. CRB observing from Napoli,  reported a one more negative observation from Roma, by Salvatore Lamina.

2003.05.13 : (1819) Laputa / TYC 1999-00105-1                   GCV

GCV at Linhaceira N 39 31 22.6 W 08 23 01.5 +90 m

            [mp 1.48" ± 0.07" NNW  of  * at UT 22:42:38.4 ± 18 s  from 20 CCD images]

what would correspond to a small south shift of 0.05" from J. MANEK update.

2003.05.22 : (814) Tauris / TAC +03.11368            BAO      BLC       FRP        GCV      HAL       JNK

BLC from E 02 57 06  N 39 38 38  +170m, Observatorio astronomico de Mallorca, reported a possible occultation of * by mp circa UT 23 05 35 but eleven minutes before prediction, what seems a good reason to believe it is spurious.

2003.05.31 : (8) Flora / TYC 6273-00247-1                            JNK

2003.06.03 : (287) Nephthys / TYC 1397-01488-1                 aas          EBA       JCI         PSY

and two perhaps positive :

PSY : CCD track is not exploitable.

FVC : due to bad conditions, only reappearance is reliable - a 7.27 s duration event is unlikely, since maximum predicted one is only 2.1 s. Positive observations show the prediction was nearly exact.

Nephtys is known to have a satellite, but all the chords are involving the main body (as for the previous 2003/04/28 event ).

2003.06.12 : (205) Martha / TYC 5143-02669-1                    CAS

2003.06.15 : (125) Liberatrix / TAC +15.06184                     JGS        NVI

2003.07.11 : (58) Concordia / TYC 5737-00035-1                 JNK

2003.07.16 : (346) Hermentaria / TYC 6845-00433-1           GCV

GCV at Linhaceira N 39 31 22.6 W 08 23 01.5 +90 m

            [mp 0.404" ± 0.033" NNW  of  * at UT 21:45:19.5 ± 7 s  from 18 CCD images]

2003.07.17 : (205) Martha / TYC 5140-03455-1                    BDJ        ESE        FRP        GCV      NRL                                                                                             PRT        RCA       SCB

and eleven positive :

BDJ : uncertain negative observation due to poor seeing and street lights.

PRT, NRL were in double station : they missed the event, since negative observation is virtually impossible at 44 36 59 N, 11 18 23 E

RCA and SCB were in double station.

GCV at Linhaceira N 39 31 22.6 W 08 23 01.5 +90 m

            [mp 0.200" ± 0.044" NNW  of  * at UT 22:42:55.8 ± 4.5 s  from 40 CCD images]

what would correspond to a 1.3 path width shift of the shadow path toward N, relative to J. MANEK update, 15 s sooner.

The positive observations and the “shepherd” one (the closest negative one to the edge of the path) by RCA show a smaller one (0.3 path width). The chords are rather scattered; nevertheless they can be fitted with a pear-shaped profile (about 90 X 60 km).

2003.07.26 : (978) Aidamina / TYC 1691-01024-1                BCL       BDJ        BOL       CAS       ESE                                                                                              PTP        SNO       VCE

and four positive :

PTP was in double station with VCE who has been  replaced by VCO during observation. CPE and XBS were in double station.

SCB reported a negative observation by GQR, from a station located at Rueda (approximate coordinates : 41 25 ?? N 04 57 ?? E 745 m ).

CAS at Sabadell N 41 33 04 E 02 05 29 +225 m

            [mp 0.30" ± 0.10" N of  * at UT 22:03:58 ± 38 s  from 47 CCD images]

The positive observations and the “shepherd” one by CAS show a 0.8 path width shift toward N of the shadow path, relative to the last update. The chords can be fitted with an elongated ellipse (about 90 X 65 km).

2003.07.31 : (141) Lumen / TYC 7411-01009-1                     BOL

2003.08.03 : (96) Aegle / TYC 6911-01232-1          

Collective positive observation, by I.V.Vinyaminov (IVY), V.N.Raskhozhev, A.E.Losyuk, A.A.Laktionov

2003.08.07 : (794) Irenaea / TYC 5802-01289-1                    JNK

2003.08.09 : (181) Eucharis / TYC 5262-00900-1                  JNK

2003.08.18 : (779) Nina / TYC 0513-00206-1                         RTH

2003.08.22 : (978) Aidamina / TYC 1678-00590-1                FRP        JLX

JLX at 42 56 10.8 N 00 08 32.2 E +2880 m : reduction of  41 CCD images stands to be done.

Other observations  (not in E.A.O.N.  program) :

2003.04.19 : (2164) Lyalya / TYC 1388-01599-1                   MDT

2003.04.19 : (4840) Otaynang / HIP 61155                             MDT

2003.04.23 : (3957) Sugie / TYC 6234-01398-1                      BOL

Timing of survey has been mistaken.

2003.04.23 : (1755) Lorbach / TYC 1351-00261-1                MDT

2003.05.09 : (6628) Dondelia / HIP 52236                              MDT

2003.05.20 : (1232) Cortusa / HIP 73714                                IGI         JPG        LAB       RCA

IGI was in multiple station with three other  teams.

2003.05.29 : (514) Armida / HIP 82585

Two positive :

These positive observations show a significant shift toward N (about one path width) relative to the prediction.

2003.07.10 : (2631) Zhejiang / TYC 6392-01063-1                ANK      BLM      DPY       JLX        RCA                                                                                             SCB

JLX at 42d 56' 11.2" (N) 00d 08' 32.7" (E) 2880 m 

            [mp 0.60" ± 0.07" W  of  * at UT 01:44:30 ± 30 s  from 96 CCD images]

Real path was situated over Atlantic ocean, well beyond the Spanish and Portuguese coasts.

2003.08.17 : (461) Saskia / TYC 6295-00523-1                      BOL       DGE       JNK        NND

2003.08.25 : (554) Peraga / HIP 37203                                   JLX        FRP

We received lately a report about a double positive observation of the Eugenia event on  2001/07/27, by B. Skoritchenko  (SKC) :

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Reports and results are summarized on www.euraster.net, a web page maintained by E. FRAPPA from
Saint-Etienne Observatory.

Please send the reports quickly, about positive as well as negative observations ! Negative reports can be decisive to determine the shape, refine the orbit of the asteroid or discover an unknown satellite !

Please DON’T FORGET to use the IAU format for the date, YYMMDD.

G. REGHEERE                 gillesregheere@yahoo.fr

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