Appulses and Occultations of SAO Stars by Mercury: 1987-1995

Douglas J. Mink
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
60 Garden St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Abstract

Predictions are presented for 78 close approaches by Mercury to stars in the SAO catalog between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1995. No easily observable occultations were found, but 7 occultations of stars with visual magnitudes of 7 or fainter were found. These events are presented for the use of observers searching for material in the vicinity of Mercury and for those who need close bright stars for the improvement of ground-based images of Mercury.