Occultations by Pluto and Charon: 1980-1990
- D.J. Mink
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
- and
- A.R. Klemola
- Lick Observatory
Abstract
In order to accurately predict the circumstances of the occultation by Pluto of
the star MKP 8 which occurred on 9 June of this year, models of Pluto's and
Charon's position relative to the stars were significantly improved. As the
reality of that event matched the model to well within a Pluto radius,
the circumstances of previously predicted Pluto and Charon
occultations were recomputed using the new model. In 1980, Alistair Walker
observed an occultation that has been assumed to have been by Charon. The
new model shows that it was by Charon. In 1985, Haim Mendelson observed an
occultation that may have been by Pluto. The new model shows that Pluto may
have been the occulting object, but more work is needed to ascertain whether
Mendelson could have discovered Pluto's atmosphere. Unobserved events in 1983
and 1986 have also been checked. Event P9 in the authors' list of Pluto
occultations, forecast to occur on 14 June 1989, has been discovered to havebeen
caused by a typographic error in the merged plate catalog, so no occultations
are predicted to occur through 1990.