149 observations have been performed during 2006, January to April  (12  positive or possibly positive) about 87 events 
(10 positive or  possibly positive) by 60 observers, from the  17  following countries (and numbers of observers) :

AT = Austria  ( 1 ), BE = Belgium  ( 1 ), BY = Belarus  ( 2 ), CH = Switzerland  ( 3 ), CZ = Czech Republic  ( 3 ),
DE = Germany  ( 9 ), ES = Spain  ( 7 ), FR = France  ( 10 ), HU = Hungary  ( 1 ), IT = Italy  ( 4 ),
NL = The Netherlands  ( 1 ), NO = Norway  ( 1 ),  PL = Poland  ( 4 ), PT = Portugal  ( 1 ),     SK = Slovakia  ( 2 ),
TR = Turkey  ( 2 ), UK = United Kingdom  ( 5 ).

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.

TAROT (Acronym for “Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires”) is an automatic telescope, located at Calern Observatory, dedicated to g-rays bursts optical study; when available, it can be used for various survey programs.

2006 (January to April) Observations

Observations are usually visual and negative, excepted when otherwise specified. All times are in UTC.

2006.01.03 : (466) Tisiphone  /  2UCAC 38787544            UCK

UCK : CCD imaging and videorecording ( two telescopes ), was in the predicted path.

2006.01.04 : (306) Unitas  /  HIP 21589 = 90 TAU                        JLX

2006.01.04 : (1238)   Predappia  /  TYC 2499-00522-1                   EBA     MAA     SPS    trt

and one positive :

EBA, SPS : CCD drift-scan; BOL was effectively in the predicted shadow path; the blink occurred nearly at the predicted appulse time for his location and showed sharp disappearance and reappearance. Nevertheless it remains uncertain and is maybe due to various seeing conditions, considering the faintness of the star.

2006.01.04 : (33) Polyhymnia  /  TYC 1897-00304-1               DMK   IMV    TVH

Target star is double (magnitudes : ~ 11.2 and ~ 11.8, companion “B” at 5.6",  PA= 251°. Nevertheless  predictions were good because of the close agreement of the position of the target

 “A” with the UCAC2 or TYC positions (the B star is not listed in both catalogues).

IMV registered a CCD images sequence that shows (33) Polyhymnia passing at about 0.6 ±0.2" from the A star, slightly less than expected, what would correspond to a southward shift of the path.

2006.01.05 : (163) Erigone  /  2UCAC 31435270                           IVY

2006.01.12 : (4115) Peternorton  /  TYC 5531-01089-1                 UTF

2006.01.15 : (1248) Jugurtha  /  TYC 1937-00784-1                      FAR     PCI

PCI : CCD drift-scan; FAR : with  Gunter WOYSCH, videorecording, was in the predicted shadow path, close to its southern border, but registered no occ. > 0.2 s.

2006.01.17 : (113) Amalthea  /  TYC 1323-00109-1     IVY

2006.01.17 : (846) Lipperta  /  TYC 1359-01843-1              JDO

JDO : with Rosa  MORALES, CCD imaging; interruption from 23:26:00.26 to 16.20  (appulse was predicted at 23:27:00)

2006.01.22 : (862)     Franzia  / TYC 2406-02453-1              DGG      JNK     trt

JNK :  no occultation longer than 0.5 s.

2006.01.23 : (-) 2001XR254  /  TYC 1357-00971-1     JNK

TNO. No occultation longer than 0.5 s.

2006.01.24 : (376) Geometria  /  TYC 0825-01294-1    GRS      trt

2006.01.25 : (3939) Huruhata /  TYC 2351-00042-1    ELL       HSC    JDO     JGS      SPS

ELL, JGS : videorecording; SPS : CCD drift scan; JGS was in the predicted path

JDO : with Rosa MORALES, CCD imaging; several interruptions, target star is the second component of TYC 2351-00042-1, event occurred 1 hour later than the main one.

2006.01.27 : (2070)  Humason  /  TYC 1902-01856- 1   JVA

JVA : CCD drift-scan

2006.01.28 : (30504) 2000RS80  /  HIP 51493                 DZR      GHL    JNK    RTH

GHL, RTH  : videorecording

2006.01.30 : (2222) Lermontov  /  2UCAC 40330601      SPS

SPS : CCD drift scan

2006.01.31 : (523) Ada  /  TYC 1337-00878-1                   GAR      PCI      SPS

PCI, SPS : CCD drift scan

After the event, the target star has been recognised as binary, with unequally bright components, separated by ~ 4.5".  Because of this binarity, the true occultation path of (523) Ada must have been shifted toward north, with regard to the prediction.

2006.01.31 : (4714) Toyohiro  /  HIP 13423    DGE       FAR      FQS     JPR      JVA     KBU                                                                                                         PCI        SAU

FAR, KBU : videorecording: JVA, PCI : CCD drift-scan

Three observers were close to (DGE, JPR) or in (SAU) the predicted path. Real path has been shifted, what is not surprising, since incertitude was great for this small asteroid (18 km in diameter). The lack of positive observation lets the position of the real path remaining unknown.

It is the last observation of Klaus BAUER, who died completely unexpectedly at the age of 43, on 2006, the 17^th of September.

2006.01.31 : (15519) 1999XW  /  TYC 2456-00295-1                     DGE

2006.02.02 : (18077) 2000EM148  /  TYC 2412-01509-1       JNK

2006.02.02 : (778) Theobalda  /  TYC 6740-00199-1           VIJ

VIJ : with Leonard KORNOS, CCD drift scan

2006.02.03 : (1310) Villigera  /  TYC 1985-00712-1             DGG    SMD

DGG, SMD : videorecording

2006.02.03 : (784) Pickeringia  /  TYC 2928-00559-1                    UCK

UCK : with Murat PARMATKSIZOGLU, CCD drift scan

2006.02.07 : (202) Chryseis  /  TYC 0291-00027-1            SUP    

2006.02.09 : (372) Palma  /  HIP 116833

only one positive :

OSK observation is in good agreement with prediction.

2006.02.17 : (45445) 2000AR181  /  TYC 6109-01159-1               FOC    trt

2006.02.19 : (93) Minerva  /  2UCAC 42188860

only one perhaps positive :

Uncertain observation, due to twilight and clouds. JLX location was at 56.8 km SSW (measured on the ground) from
S. PRESTON's centreline, in the shadow path, close to its southern border. The appulse at this location was predicted at 18:30:41 ±6 s UT. JLX registered uncertain drops at 18:30:12.9  ± 0.4 s and 18:30:34.7  ± 0.4 s, then star was not observed during 14 s. Given D and R times are the instants the star was out of visibility and then recovered but neither immersion or emersion were remarked. Note that the max predicted duration was 10.8 s.

2006.02.22 : (306) Unitas  /  TYC 1267-00187-1       GCV      LZJ      MBU

GCV : videorecording; GCV and LZJ were in the predicted path, near southern and northern limits, respectively. Real path has been shifted with regard to S. PRESTON’s prediction but the lack of positive observation lets its real position remaining unknown.

2006.02.23 : (5144) Achates  /  TYC 1399-00049-1          GCV      MBU  

GCV : videorecording;  MBU : observation mainly hampered by clouds

2006.02.24 : (5511) Cloanthus  /  TYC 0257-00398-1      DGG

2006.02.27 : (640) Brambilla  /  TYC 4882-01107-1         DGG      DZR

DZR was close to the predicted path, near its northern limit.

2006.02.28 : (328) Gudrun  /  TYC 2889-01844-1

only one positive :

MFV was effectively on the predicted central line. Since the max predicted duration is 8s, no conclusion can be drawn - either the real path has been slightly shifted or the prediction was exact but the (328) Gudrun profile was not circular or its diameter was smaller than the one used for calculations (123 km).

2006.03.01 : (1067) Lunaria  /  TYC 4904-00708-1          DGG

2006.03.03 : (5119) 1988RA1  /  TYC 0246-00149-1       FOC

and one positive :

The uncertainty was great for this event.

2006.03.06 : (23549) 1994ES6  /  TYC 0861-01011-1  RTH

RTH : videorecording

2006.03.12 : (2848) ASP  /  TYC 1372-00704-1                DNZ      RTH

DNZ, RTH : videorecording

2006.03.20 : (1519) Kajaani  /  2UCAC 43402067      DNZ

DNZ : videorecording

2006.03.21 : (42355) 2002CR46  /  2UCAC 36297026         DNZ    JDO     RTH

2002CR46 is known to be a binary Trans-Neptunian object, member of the Centaur family.

JDO with Rosa MORALES, CCD imaging ; DNZ, RTH : videorecording, both were in the predicted path, but uncertainty was great for this distant object.

2006.03.26 : (760) Massinga  /  2UCAC 38970912            JDO

JDO with Rosa MORALES, CCD imaging, were in the predicted path. The USNO-A2 catalogue shows the star as double.

2006.03.28 : (3028) Zangguoxi  /  TYC 0759-02394-1                    FOC

2006.03.30 : (742) Edisona  /  2UCAC 39433420                           DNZ

DNZ : videorecording, observation interrupted by clouds.

2006.04.01 : (541) Deborah  /  TYC 0793-01595-1                         DNZ

DNZ : videorecording, was in the predicted path but registered many interruptions by clouds

2006.04.01 : (552) Sigelinde  /  TYC 1310-01687-1          DNZ      ESE

DNZ : videorecording

2006.04.04 : (34353) 2000RX17  /  TYC 0792-01716-1                 ESE

ESE was far (88 km) from the A. PLEKHANOV predicted path, involving a very small asteroid (diameter : 5.8 km).

2006.04.04 : (1969) Alain  /  TYC 0258-00442-1                            MBU

MBU was in the predicted path; a disappearance has been observed, 9 s later than the predicted time, probably due to clouds

2006.04.07 : (2372) Proskurin  /  HIP 32167                                   BCL

2006.04.10 : (712) Boliviana  /  TYC 0726-00746-1         DGE      DMK   JGS     JLX     

and one positive :

JGS, JLX : videorecording

TYC 0726-00746-1 is identified with the double star HEI 323. This close binarity not taken into account for the prediction made the predicted shadow path split in two. JLX computed the resulting shifts from the initial prediction, assuming the companion “B” at  0.33" ±0.10", PA = 25°. A was predicted to give a 180 kilometres wide shadow path, running from Northern

Ireland, over the Netherlands, to Czech republic, and a 0.9 mag drop occultation occurring 5 s earlier than the initial prediction. B was predicted to give a shadow path running over France, from St-Nazaire to Lyon, with a 0.7 mag drop, occurring 4 s later.

Observations show the JLX prediction to be exact : BLM may have observed an occultation by the A component, as he was in the corrected predicted path. DGE, DMK and JGS remained

in the uncorrected predicted path.

2006.04.16 : (411) Xanthe  /  TYC 1285-01589-1            

only one positive :

NVI was situated near the predicted path, at about half of its width (75 km) from its northern border. The event occurred at the predicted appulse time for his location.

2006.04.19 : (779) Nina  /  TYC 5490-00807-1        DGE      MID     trt

and one positive :

MID : videorecording

OJR was near the predicted centre line; as the observed duration is significantly longer than the maximum predicted one (10.5 s), it can be concluded that the prediction was exact and either the shape of  (779) Nina was not circular or its diameter was greater than the one used for calculations (77 km).

2006.04.20 : (3641) Williams Bay  /  TYC 2417-00632-1 DGG      SMD    SZA

DGG, SMD : videorecording

SZA was in the predicted path and registered a possible 0.6 s blink at 20:38:46.0,  20 s after the predicted appulse time for his location. This event has not been confirmed by DGG, in the predicted path too. Incertitude was great for this small asteroid (32 km, for a maximum predicted duration of 1 s only).

2006.04.21 : (15457) 1998YN6  /  TYC 0406-02150-1                   MKM

and two positive :

The predicted path ran just between  FIM and  MKM stations. The predicted appulse time for FIM (resp.  JNK) was about 50 s (resp.  15 s) later than the observed one, what can be considered as large, even taking into account the great incertitude for this small asteroid (25 km). By the way, the two events are incompatible between them, so one must have been spurious, if not the two.

2006.04.21 : (505) Cava  /  TYC 0877-00634-1                 FRP       PAR

PAR : videorecording, no occultation longer than 1 s.

FRP : videorecording; station situated 12km south of the S. PRESTON predicted centreline. A short ~0.5 mag drop has been registered at 02:52:20.6, near the appulse time, but probably non-significant.

2006.04.23 : (47) Aglaja  /  TYC 1929-00185-1  JLX

JLX : videorecording

2006.04.23 : (461) Saskia  /  2UCAC 39652684 FAR with TFA        

FAR : videorecording, no occultation longer than 0.2 s.

2006.04.24 : (814) Tauris  /  TYC 2440-00622-1              BCL      LOS     trt

LOS was in the predicted path. Negative observations show the real path has been shifted, probably toward SW, but the lack of positive observation lets its position remaining unknown.

2006.04.24 : (524) Fidelio  /  TYC 1872-01508-1              DGG      JLX      JNK    PRB       trt       VIJ

and two positive :

DGG, DNZ, JLX, RTH, SMD : videorecording; VIJ : with Leonard KORNOS, CCD drift-scan; RTH : no occ. > 0.3 s

Observations show the real path has been shifted toward East, by one of its width, with regard to the prediction.

The two chords are in agreement with the 72 km mean diameter used for calculation but are too closed to give any idea of the (524) Fidelio profile.

2006.04.25 : (615) Roswitha  /  2UCAC 40674123     DGG      RTH     SMD   WCH

RTH, WCH : videorecording, were in the predicted path. These negative observations show the real path has been shifted, but the lack of positive observation lets its position remaining unknown.

2006.04.28 : (1423) Jose  /  TYC 1404-01821-1        GCV

GCV : CCD drift-scan, was situated near the predicted centreline

2006.04.30 : (25791) 2000CM61  /  HIP 61046                              IVY

The uncertainty was great for this small asteroid (11 km).

2006.04.30 : (323) Brucia  /  TYC 2479-00429-1                            IVY

The 27 following events have been observed by TAROT only – all negative results :

2006/01/02 :                     (1973)                                                         Colocolo / 2UCAC 29840097         2006/01/03 :         (3298)     Massandra / TYC 1863-00217-1

2006/01/03 :                     (5132)                                                         Maynard / TYC 0781-01618-1        2006/01/04 :         (24866)   1996 ER1 / TYC 3311-00333-1

2006/01/05 :                     (521)                                                           Brixia / 2UCAC 26242374                2006/01/08 :         (190)       Ismene / TYC 0776-00984-1

2006/01/08 :                     (485)                                                           Genua / TYC 4835-02172-1             2006/01/09 :         (1687)     Glaron / 2UCAC 40159662

2006/01/13 :                     (1562)                                                         Gondolatsch / TYC 0841-00513-1  2006/01/14 :         (134)       Sophrosyne / TYC 2931-01433-1

2006/01/14 :                     (855)                                                           Newcombia / 2UCAC 45653822     2006/01/15 :         (18333)   1987 OV / TYC 0246-01226-1

2006/01/18 :                     (13860)                                                       Neely / TYC 1330-00558-1              2006/01/22 :         (5240)     Kwasan / TYC 0233-00675-1

2006/01/23 :                     (25356)                                                       1999 SK6 / 2UCAC 41674029         2006/01/23 :         (16439 )  1989 BZ / 2UCAC 44294970

2006/01/24 :                     (913)                                                           Otila / TYC 1883-00143-1                2006/01/25 :         (36256)   1999 XT17 / TYC 2960-01702-1

2006/02/11 :                     (4201)                                                         Orosz / TYC 5521-00961-1              2006/02/16 :         (518)       Halawe / TYC 0800-00728-1

2006/04/06 :                     (25453)                                                       1999 XU11 / TYC 0769-00358-1     2006/04/09 :         (517)       Edith / TYC 0262-01130-1

2006/04/15 :                     (185)                                                           Eunike / TYC 0976-00823-1            2006/04/16 :         (4284)     Kaho / TYC 1386-00835-1

2006/04/17 :                     (6245)                                                         Ikufumi / HIP 50902         2006/04/25 :         (4162)     SAF / TYC 5757-00589-1   

2006/04/30 :                     (15730)                                                       1990 UA1 / 2UCAC 25153057        

It is necessary to send a report even if there has been no occultation from your place (negative observation). These negative observations can sometimes be of as great interest as positive ones : they can be decisive to determine the shape (“shepherd observations”), refine the orbit of the asteroid or discover un unknown satellite !  

Please DON’T FORGET to use the IAU format YYMMDD for the date of your reports.

A very sad information came up to all of us, Raymond DUSSER  did his last journey on September 7, after a long fight against disease.

Here is an E. BREDNER citation :

Raymond was a very great man, he gave a lot to the community of observers.

His support in nearly all problems correlated to our work was exclusive, always very extensive until everybody had understood his explanation. We all suffer from a severe loss.

His last message to PLANOCCULT is from September 5, 2006 concerning the probability of Minor Planet occultation prediction.

He closed his short message: ..have a clear sky.

That means he wanted us to observe as hard as possible, that is his last will.

G. REGHEERE gillesregheere@yahoo.fr

96 rue de Mercantour

78310  Maurepas    -   FRANCE