astrometry; occultations; minor planets; asteroids: individual: (319); Leona; stars: individual: Betelgeuse; Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary
Abstract :
[en] On 2023 December 12, the star α Orionis will be occulted by asteroid (319) Leona. This represents an extraordinary and unique opportunity to analyse the brightness distribution of Betelgeuse's photosphere with extreme angular resolution by studying light curves from different points on Earth and at different wavelengths. Here we present observations of another occultation by asteroid Leona, on 2023 September 13, whose goal was to determine Leona's projected shape and size in preparation for the December 12th event and its interpretation. The occultation campaign was highly successful with 25 positive detections from 17 different sites and a near miss. The effective diameter in projected area derived from the positive detections was 66 ± 2 km using an elliptical fit to the instantaneous limb. The body is highly elongated, with dimensions of 79.6 ± 2.2 km × 54.8 ± 1.3 km in its long and short axis, respectively, at occultation time. This result, in combination with dense time series photometry of Leona that we recently obtained, together with archival sparse photometry, allowed us to predict the angular size of the asteroid for the Betelgeuse event and to simulate the expected brightness change. Also, an accurate position coming from the occultation is provided, to improve the orbit of Leona.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Ortiz, J. L.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Kretlow, M.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, -
Schnabel, C.; International Occultation Timing Association - European Section (IOTA/ES), Am Brombeerhag 13, D-30459 Hannover, Germany, Agrupación astronómica de Sabadell, Prat de la Riba sn, E-08206 Sabadell, Spain
Morales, N.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Sánchez González, M.; Sociedad Astronómica Granadina, Apartado de Correos 195, 18080 Granada, Spain
Casarramona, F.; Agrupación astronómica de Sabadell, Prat de la Riba sn, E-08206 Sabadell, Spain
Selva, A.; International Occultation Timing Association - European Section (IOTA/ES), Am Brombeerhag 13, D-30459 Hannover, Germany, Agrupación astronómica de Sabadell, Prat de la Riba sn, E-08206 Sabadell, Spain
Perelló, C.; Agrupación astronómica de Sabadell, Prat de la Riba sn, E-08206 Sabadell, Spain
Alonso, S.; Universidad de Granada, E.T.S. de Ingenierías Informática y de Telecomunicación, C/ Periodista Daniel Saucedo Aranda S/N 18071 Granada, Spain
Rizos, J. L.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Gonçalves, R.; International Occultation Timing Association - European Section (IOTA/ES), Am Brombeerhag 13, D-30459 Hannover, Germany
Moral Soriano, S.; Aula de Astronomía de Armilla, Centro Sociocultural la Cerraca, C. Aristóteles, s/n, 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain
Martí, J.; Departamento de Física, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Jaén, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas s/n, A3-420, E-23071 Jaén, Spain
Luque-Escamilla, P. L.; Departamento de Física, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Jaén, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas s/n, A3-420, E-23071 Jaén, Spain
Casas, R.; Agrupación astronómica de Sabadell, Prat de la Riba sn, E-08206 Sabadell, Spain, Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Gran Capitá 2-4 Ed. Nexus, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain, Institute of Space Science, Carrer de Can Magrans, E-SN 08193 Cerdanyola de Vallés, Spain
Rovira, J.; Agrupación astronómica de Sabadell, Prat de la Riba sn, E-08206 Sabadell, Spain
Aceituno, F. J.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Dekert, V.; Observatorio de la Sagra, 18820 Puebla de don Fadrique, Granada, Spain
Farfan, R. G.; Observatorio Uraniborg de Écija, C/ Antequera, 8, 41400 Écija, Sevilla, Spain
de Ory Guimerá, V.; Real Observatorio de la Armada, 11100 San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain
Serrano Estepa, J.; Observatorio Fernán-Núñez, 14520 Fernán-Núñez, Córdoba, Spain
Jehin, Emmanuel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Space sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR)
Ferrais, Marin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophysique, géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > COMets METeors and Asteroids (COMETA) ; Florida Space Institute, UCF, 12354 Research Parkway, Orlando, USA
Alarcon, M. R.; Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), C/Vía Láctea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Canarias, Spain, Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), E-38206 La Laguna, Canarias, Spain
Licandro, J.; Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), C/Vía Láctea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Canarias, Spain
Serra-Ricart, M.; Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), C/Vía Láctea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Canarias, Spain, Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), E-38206 La Laguna, Canarias, Spain, Light Bridges S.L,, Avda Alcalde Ramirez Bethencourt 17, E-35004 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canarias, Spain
Gutiérrez, P. J.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Kilic, Y.; Turkish National Observatory
Leiva, R.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Santos-Sanz, P.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Duffard, R.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Fernández-Valenzuela, E.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, -
Vara-Lubiano, M.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Alvarez-Candal, A.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, -
Rommel, F. L.; Federal University of Technology - Paraná (PPGFA/UTFPR - Curitiba), Av. Sete de Setembro 3165, Curitiba - PR, 80230-010, Paraná, Brazil, Interinstitutional e-Astronomy Laboratory - LIneA &, INCT do e-Universo, Rua Gal. José Cristino 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20921-400, Brazil
Alarcon M. R., Licandro J., Serra-Ricart M., Joven E., Gaitan V., de Sousa R., 2023, PASP, 135, 055001
Behrend R. et al., 2023, Asteroids and Comets Rotation Curves, CdR. Available at: http://obswww.unige.ch/ behrend/page1cou.html#000319, http://obswww.unige.ch/ behrend/page1cou.html#000319
Butkevich A. G., Lindegren L., 2014, A&A, 570, A62
Dolan M. M., Mathews G. J., Lam D. D., Quynh Lan N., Herczeg G. J., Dearborn D. S. P., 2016, ApJ, 819, 7
Durech J. et al., 2023, (319) Leona – physical model to predict the occultation of Betelgeuse (preliminary!). Available at: https://sirrah.troja.mff.cuni.cz/durech/Leona/
Gaia Collaboration 2023, A&A, 674, A1
Gomes-Júnior A. R. et al., 2022, MNRAS, 511, 1167
Harper G. M., Brown A., Guinan E. F., O’Gorman E., Richards A. M. S., Kervella P., Decin L., 2017, AJ, 154, 11
Jehin E. et al., 2011, The Messenger, 145, 2
Kilic Y. et al., 2022, MNRAS, 515, 1346
Lang D., Hogg D. W., Mierle K., Blanton M., Roweis S., 2010, AJ, 139, 1782
Masiero J. R., Grav T., Mainzer A. K., Nugent C. R., Bauer J. M., Stevenson R., Sonnett S., 2014, ApJ, 791, 121
Mommert M., 2017, Astron. Comput., 18, 47
Montargès M. et al., 2021, Nature, 594, 365
Morgado B. E. et al., 2023, Nature, 614, 239
Moskovitz N. A., Wasserman L., Burt B., Schottland R., Bowell E., Bailen M., Granvik M., 2022, Astron. Comput., 41, 100661
Munn J. A., Subasavage J. P., Harris H. C., Tilleman T. M., 2022, AJ, 163, 131
Nugent C. R. et al., 2016, AJ, 152, 63
Ortiz J. L., Sicardy B., Camargo J. I. B., Santos-Sanz P., Braga-Ribas F., 2020a, in Prialnik D., Barucci M. A., Young L.eds, The Trans-Neptunian Solar System. Elsevier, Amsterdam, p. 413
Ortiz J. L. et al., 2020b, A&A, 639, A134
Parrott D., 2020, J. Am. Assoc. Var. Star Obs. 48, 262
