Format for Multisite Occultation Predictions



Sometimes given in the header:

  Sp the star's spectral type
  
  mag     the star's magnitude
  
  %illum  the percent illumination of the moon. If followed by a +, 
            values are for a waxing moon; - for a waning moon and e for 
            illumination during a lunar eclipse. 

The Prediction list (not all columns always given, for example,
   the Moon alt. and az. are not given if it is high for all places)
       
  Time    The Universal Time or local time, in hours, mins and secs.
           If the local time is given, the time zone is indicated.

  Sun alt. The altitude of the Sun, but only if greater than -13 deg.
       
  Moon alt. The altitude of the Moon in deg. above the horizon.
            
  Moon az.  The azimuth of the Moon - 0 for due north, 90 for due 
              east, 180 for due south, 270 for due west.

  CA = Cusp Angle:          
The cusp angle specifies where on the Moon a star (or planet) will 
disappear or reappear.  It is an angle measured around the 
circumference of the Moon's disk starting from either the northern 
(N) or southern (S) horn, or cusp, of the lunar crescent (negative 
on the bright side, positive on the dark side).  The location for 
the disappearance is not too important for most observers.  In this 
case, the star can be seen before the event and just followed in.  
If the disappearance is on the bright side of the Moon (negative 
cusp angle), it will usually not be visible except in a small 
telescope for very bright stars like Aldebaran.  Locating the 
reappearance point is most important for telescopic observers where 
the field of view is smaller than the Moon's disk.  Those using 
camcorders directly will image the whole Moon and can then catch the 
event wherever it occurs on the dark side, as long as the star is 
bright enough relative to glare from the sunlit side of the Moon to 
be detected.   Naked-eye, and possibly camcorder, observers of the 
reappearance can gain some advantage by blocking the sunlit part of 
the Moon with a rooftop, top of a telephone pole, etc. 

  PA   Position Angle - the angle of the event around the edge 
        (circumference) of the Moon's disk, measured counterclockwise 
        from true (celestial) north. 
       
  WA   Watts Angle - the angle of the event around the limb of the Moon 
        measured eastward (counterclockwise, like PA) from the Moon's 
        north pole. Useful for reappearances when lunar features can be 
        seen near the Moon's trailing edge, as when the Moon is highly 
        gibbous during the few days just past full, or during the few 
        days before new when the maria can be seen faintly by 
        Earthshine. To use, use a protractor to mark a map of the moon 
        around the circumference at 10 deg intervals, starting at the 
        north pole. Mare Crisium is at about 300 deg. This provides the 
        Watts angle scale. The OCCULT program can generate a view of the 
        Moon, which is preferred since it takes into account the lunar 
        librations; OCCULT moonviews for major cities are often given on 
        IOTA's Web site.
       
  A   Coefficient for correcting the prediction for changes in site 
  or  longitude. The units are seconds of time per minutes of arc, or 
  a   minutes of time per degree. The correction to the prediction for a 
      change in site, in seconds of time, is found by multiplying A by 
      the change in site longitude (in minutes of arc, positive to the 
      East, that is, longitudes EAST of Greenwich are considered 
      positive) from the prediction site (or the calculation can use 
      degrees, as noted above). 
       
  B or b   Same as for A, but for changes in latitude (positive to the 
             north). 
       




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