OBSERVING PROGRAMME FOR MONTH/YEAR
DETAILED PREDICTIONS FOR A SPECIFIC STATION
UPCOMING OCCULTATIONS OF ALREADY-OBSERVED STARS
PROGRAMME and PREDICTIONS
To prepare for observations, it is advisable to consult the table of targets corresponding to each month, see OBSERVING PROGRAMME FOR MONTH/YEAR above. In these tables, proposed occultations are organized by day of the month, and various parameters and useful information are indicated (star, type, urgency of observation, magnitudes of components, expected flux drop, global visibility, etc.). The tables provide the approximate UTC times of the occultation in Madrid, Barcelona, La Laguna or Marseille, which gives an idea of the time at which each event will be observable in a particular location close to these cities. Accurate local predictions can be generated at the link for detailed predictions.
Predictions for priority double stars are marked in red with a yellow background: those are the stars most in need of observations.
That does not mean that observing the rest of the stars is not important. Whenever possible, it is advisable to observe all the stars in the table, either through specific sessions or by integrating observations into your own observation programme for the night (whether you also observe variable stars, etc.).
Global visibility maps, accessible from the table, provide more specific information about the time for each location, as well as the geographical extent of the event, potential observers, position angles of the phenomenon for each location, etc.
In addition, the monthly programme also includes some targets from the Gaia DR3 non-single programme of duplicity search.
Also:
More accurate local predictions, as well as lunar maps of the event (which can be very useful in the case of emersions, phenomena where it is necessary to properly orient the field of view of our telescope since the source will not be visible before the event), can be found at the link DETAILED PREDICTIONS FOR A SPECIFIC STATION.
In UPCOMING OCCULTATIONS OF ALREADY-OBSERVED STARS, you will find a preview of the occultations that will occur in the coming months and whose observation is crucial, as they could complement and enable the solution of pairs that are partially determined. These stars are included in the table for the monthly programme.
Finally, the DUPLICITY SEARCH programme provides predictions for occultations of single stars that can be observed in search of a possible double condition. It is a separate programme from the main objective of observing double stars, but equally important.