Note: MCP = Micro Channel Plate 2nd generation Image Intensifier 18mm window in DIY mounting

The observations collected on this page, document the techniques used to time and record asteroid occultation over a 30 year period.
Methods start with 6" reflector visual / tape / stopwatch, ending with image intensifter_security camera (25fps) and video.
From 2010 I use more advanced low noise integrating video cameras (by Watec) and GPS time insertion for greater accuracy.

About 45 events were followed between 1979 and 2009. More recent results appear on the EURASTER web site which is a comprehensive archive (from 1997) maintained by Eric Frappa http://www.euraster.net/results/index.html

1979 July 29 - (704) Interamania
Visual observation at 2200 UT ? - no result logged.

1980 Jan 4th - (48) Doris
The first observation to be logged in any detail was on 1980 Jan 4th. This was a -ve observation (no occultation) of AGK3 +13_0437 (SAO 94441), an 7th mag star in Orion. Predictions were given in the BAA Handbook (1980) where the area of visibility was central and Western Europe, with a duration of 15sec. It was a visual observations with a 6" Newtonian, and my co-observer was Peter Hunt with a 10" F/5. We monitored the star from 2250:20s to 2320:00, and a report was sent to Gordon E Taylor, Chairman, Working Group (IAU Commission 20 ) RGO, Sussex, England. Details in TA 1980-03 - The observation was made from Braywick Nursery, nr Maidenhead (Now build over)

1983 July 23 - (185) Eunike SAO101045 POSITIVE? (Transcribed in my LOG 1978-1986 but not reported?)
-20cm F6 Newtonian, visually. Expected appulse time 2135 to 2140UT. A possible D-R occurred at 21h 37m 1.5s with duration 9 sec (+/- 0.5s applied). The target star red-ish in colour and was near Struve 1838. Atlas used was Eclipticalis. No other stars in the field so may be spurious.

1984 Feb. 19 - (9) Metis + SAO119464 NEGATIVE (Reported to Andy Hollis) in strong Moonlight
- 20cm F/6 Newtonian, 18mm orthoscopic from 0055 to 0140 GMT. Note: fatiguing observation

1985 Jan 22 - (747) Winchester and AGK3 +10 0702 NEGATIVE (Reported ?) Star not plotted on Eclipticalis.
- 20cm F/6 Newtonian, 18mm orthoscopic from 2155 to 2208 GMT. Note: Star v9.7, Asteroid visible

1986 Feb 16 - (7) Iris and ??? Observed from 2100 to 2120. No other details in LOG book

1988 Feb 27 - (209) Dido + SAO 99328 CLOUDED (Ref S&T Jan 1988) [dM 3.8m Dur 10s v9.0 ]
An alert was sent to Maidenhead AS, with finder chart

1989 Apr 9 - (313) Chaldaea and SAO142133 UNCERTAIN (Reported to EAON)
- 20cm F/6 (x67), Tape + MSF pulses from 0405-0410. Note: Bright sky terminated observation early

1989 July 3 - Titan and 28 Sgr POSITIVE. D 2239:22s, R 2244:38s, Flash 2242:6s UT ( reported to EAON)
Instrument: 20cm F/6 Newton, Video (25fps) and Time Overlay - Note: Camera malfunctioned, but with usable D-R result
Magnitude limit was about 7.5 with this combination and the star dissappeared almost completrly with a hint of Titan remaining.
[ Dave Herald has written up the results in the Journal for Occultation Astronomy - Vol8 No 2]

Tabulated results for Titan / 28 Sgr event

Object	EAON Report		Video Summary	Ingress	Equipment and analysis detail
Titan 28 Sgr					Philips security board video camera with home-made power and gain control. 20cm F/6 Newt. Mitsubishi Time and Date Inserter. Manual sync to MSF (60 KHz). VHS Tape. Photo-Diode translation from TV to chart recorder. Timings from the monitor screen. Long 0d45'36" W. Lat 51d32'25"N

1989 Sep 1 - (89) Julia and SAO57559 (double sep 4") NEGATIVE [ dM 1.8, Dur 7s, v9.7 ] (EAON)
- 20cm, Video (25fps) and Time Overlay ref to MSF (60kHz) from 0312 to 0330UT. Note: 2 sigma zone

1990 Mar 13 - (83) Beatrix and AGK3+01 1465 NEGATIVE [dM 2.3, Dur 14s , v9.3 ] (EAON)
-20cm ( x 120), Tape and MSF pulses from 2315 to 2335 UT. Note: Asteroid visible and 6min late

1991 Jan 13 - (1512) Oulu and PPM 93530 NEGATIVE [ dM 7.6, Dur 9s, v9.7 ] (EAON prediction)
-20cm, MCP +Video (25fps) and Time Overlay ref to MSF (60kHz) from1958 to 2030. Note: Asteroid not visible

1991 Mar 27 - (508) Princetonia and PPM 93204 NEGATIVE [ dM 6.4, Dur 5s, v9.0] (EAON prediction)
-20cm, MCP+Video (25fps) and Time Overlay ref to MSF (60kHz) from1924 to1936UT. Note: Asteroid not visible

1991 Aug 12 - (702) Alauda and PPM67664 NEGATIVE [dM4.7, Dur12s, v9.4] (EAON prediction)
-20cm, MCP+Video (25fps) +MCP intensifier+VTI from 0032 to0109UT

1994 Mar 2 - (762) Pulcova and Lick4_1850 NEGATIVE [dM 3.1, Dur 30s, v10.1] (EAON prediction)
-12"cm F/6, Video (25fps) +MCP intensifier+VTI from 2233 to 2333UT. Note: Fog saturated the MCP at 2333

1997 Sep 18- (27) Euterpe and PPM 94351 NEGATIVE. This is reported on the EURSTER.NET web page.
- 20cm VISUAL observation from 0015:38 to 0027:00UT with one interuption. Location: Knowl Hill Observatory.

1999 July 02- (41) Daphne and SAO 121499 CLOUDED. This is reported in The Astronomer 1999 Sep. page116.

1999 Oct 2/3 -(2959) Scholl and ?? star was CLOUDED. This is reported in The Astronomer 1999 Oct. page141.

2000 Mar 2 0100UT - (49) Pales and TYC 1880-01817 CLOUDED (see log book)
- Star monitored in 6" (finder-visual) and 12" F/6 Newt -Video with MCP interupted by cloud at 2330. No Observation.

2000 Feb 9 1850 ut - (6) Hebe and GSC 0683-00810 NEGATIVE [Star 10.5, asteroid 9.5 ] (see log book)
- 12"F/6 Video and MCP. Target star near Pi. Taped from 1834 to 1904 UT - reported. See EURASTER.NET

2000 April 7th 2130 ut - (791) Ani and PPM 98404 NEGATIVE (see log book). Also TA Maga, 2000 May, p18
12" F/6, Video and MCP. Reported to EURASTER - Widely obseved with 9 UK reports of which 5 were positive.

2003 Feb 13 1950 ut - (663) Gerlinde and TYC 4814-00668-1 [SAO 134182] NEGATIVE (see log book)(report)
12" F/6, Video and MCP at first, but saturated. So used the EYE in Moon Light.

2003 Feb 26 2358 ut - (275) Sapientia and TYC 1396-00339-1 [SAO 134182] NEGATIVE (see log book) (report)
Four UK observers reported to EURASTER

2003 Mar 19 2347 ut - (417) Suevia and TYC 0790-00973-1 NEGATIVE (see log book) (report)
12" F/6, Video and MCP. Mitsubishi TDG - Four UK observers negative.

2003 May 7 - Mercury TRANSIT observed and imaged 0700 UT onwards.
2003 July 4th NEW TELESCOPE DELIVERED : Meade LXD55 SN8

2003 Dec 16/17 0017 ut - (104) Klymene and TYC 1872-00207-1 NEGATIVE - reported to EURASTER
12" F/6, Video and MCP. Star/asteroid dimming 0030, elongated 0035, resolved 0040 ut

2004 June 8th - Venus TRANSIT observed, webcam and film (Fuji Provia 400)

2005 Apr 8 - (172) Baucis and TYC 1902-01770-1 NEGATIVE (Mag 11.4) - reported to EURASTER
203mm F/4, VISUAL, 60MHz pips and audio tape recorder, T=+1C. Four stars in a line with one off line (inverted- L) were kept in view. Star pattern did not change. - Afterwards confirmed star had been in view. Certain No Occultation.

2005 Apr 10 - (8) Flora and TYC 1916-01204-1
Five UK Observers - all negative.

2005 April 20 - (482)Petrina and TYC 0753-00358-1u NO RESULT (mag 11.3)
8" F/4 Meade, Star seen on screen, clearer than naked eye - prepared to observe. Probably clouded.

2005 Apr 21? (106) Dione and star ?? No observation to report. (to PLANOCCULT)
12" F/6 V 145 - Attempted visual observation - sky to bright and poor transparency

2005 May 21 - NEW EQUIPMENT. A Voltek CT230 Text Time Overalay (from Maplin) was tested. Runs on 12V
2005 Aug 9/10 - My Philips Video Camera stops working. (used for all videos up till now) - I test an Astrovideo unit on loan

2005 Sep 6 : reported (680) Genoveva CLOUDED

2005 Sept 20 - SOLD my AE 12" F/6 to Linton Guise of Bedford School Astro Club - I now use the Meade SN8 on EQ6pro.
I met Linton at a BAA Deep Sky meeting at Bedford school in 2018. He sold the AE 12" to a collector living near Norfolk, E.Anglia.

Originally I had bought the instrument with an AE Type-B EQ mount from a Reading Astro Soc member in 1993. I got the secondary flat tested by David Hinds who said it was 1/2 wave. I bought a new one off him. The main mirror was OK, but not made by AE. So its history was uncertain. Overall it was a good visual 'scope.

2005 Sep 27: reported Antiope A - RAIN

2005 Dec 12 (3275) Maillen - No Observations -Star (11,2) too dim in Moonlight|
200mm F/4, x150 Visual + tape recorder + MSF time signal. T=-2C

2005 Dec 12 (121) Hermione - CLOUDED

2006 Jan 04 (33) Polyhymnia - NEGATIVE - TYC 1897-00304-1 (Mag 11)
VISUAL, Star located with ease. 203mm F/4 x 270, MSF 60Hz audible 1 sec pips, +5C

2006 Feb - AstroFest - ACQUIRED 30cm F/4 from Orion Optics Crew (1/8 wave)

2006 May 29 (3896) Pordenone - NO OBSERVATION - technical problerm.
While I was preparing to observe, a 3 Amp fuse blew in the telescope power supply and so I was unable to find the target star which had just rising above the trees. It was nice and clear ofcourse which was unexpected, as we are having very unsettled weather in this region at the moment.

2006 Aug 26: Joined BAA-ARPS, Director: Roger Dymock

2006 Oct 01, (4766) Malin + HIP 18993, is CLOUDED, T=+15
* First Video Observation with new video Text Time Overlay
30cm, Time-signal Station: MSF 60 KHz, and Maplin video time inserter, Image intensifier and video camera.
Commented: The instrument was prepared during a break in low drifting cloud (SW to NE). The most significant interuption to observaton (see above) occured close to the predicted central occultation time. I was also monitoring the star visually with a 10x50 finder. I can re-analyze the tape if other observers report a positive.(report)

2007 Mar 01/02 - Lunar Graze occultation of Saturn 30cm F/4, 5xPowermate and Philips ToUcam

2007 Sept 26- experiment with Drift Scan on a star field.

2009 Jan 24- (601)Nerthus - NEGATIVE- (report)

2009 Nov 27- (27666)1978VU6 - NEGATIVE - (report)