skysurfer
25-05-2015, 02:56 AM
According to this site
http://occultations.net/occultation-table.htm
and this : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occultation
next 4 dec the star Theta Oph will be occulted by Mercury. I was curious and simulated it with Stellarium and Skysafari. Both apps showed that from anywhere on Earth, even Antarctica, the planet passes just south of the star, so no occultation takes place.
(Moreover, on the depicted timestamp, the star is too close to the Sun to view it, even in daytime with a large telescope such as a C14 or a 40cm Dobson. Mercury can possibly be spotted but not the star as it is too faint.)
Who is right, the planetarium apps or the two websites mentioned ?
http://occultations.net/occultation-table.htm
and this : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occultation
next 4 dec the star Theta Oph will be occulted by Mercury. I was curious and simulated it with Stellarium and Skysafari. Both apps showed that from anywhere on Earth, even Antarctica, the planet passes just south of the star, so no occultation takes place.
(Moreover, on the depicted timestamp, the star is too close to the Sun to view it, even in daytime with a large telescope such as a C14 or a 40cm Dobson. Mercury can possibly be spotted but not the star as it is too faint.)
Who is right, the planetarium apps or the two websites mentioned ?