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(8) Flora occults TYC 1341-00957-1 on 2018 Jan 13

The minor planet (8) Flora (8.6 mag) will occult a star (8.1 mag) just a few days after reaching its opposition in the constellation Gemini. In Europe this event will be visible in Belarus (~18:14 UT), Ukraine (~18:15 UT), Poland, Czech Republic and Germany (~18:16 UT), Luxemburg, Belgium and France (~18:17 UT).

The combined magnitude of the star and the asteroid will reach 7.6 mag. In the case of an occultation the combined magnitude will drop about 1 mag for a maximum duration of 17 seconds. The target area is located in the eastern sky about 35° above the horizon (for position at centre line at E 11°).

Path maps for Europe

Ukraine-West ... Poland-East


Poland-West ... Czech-Republic ... Germany-East


Germany-West .. France-East


France-West
About the maps:
The path was predicted by Steve Preston, IOTA, at 2017 Dec 15 with data of ESA’s Gaia satellite for the stellar position. The green line is the centre line, the blue lines indicate the path limits, and the red lines the 1-sigma-limit. The occultation will occur between the two red lines with a probability of 68 %. (Map data: © 2017 GeoBasis-DE/BKG (© 2009), Google)

Useful links & files

The high precision astrometry used for the star and the asteroid makes the path prediction very reliable without expectations of a large path shift, but observers outside the path should be aware that paths shifts are common at occultations. Be prepared for an occultation! Even a close conjunction between (8) Flora and the star is an interesting event, which should not be missed.

For our German observers who want to start working in occultations, you find a "how2do.pdf" here. (In German)


Oliver Klös
IOTA/ES, Public Relations