Hi David,
One amateur astronomer who will be attempting to make an
observation is Dave Gault, a member of the Astronomical
Society of New South Wales.
Dave reoported back to me on the ASNSW group that -
"I have been doing a few practise runs to ensure I can
contribute to the observation. The last attempt was
made at 1am Monday morning. The goal was to mimic the
conditions that observers would experence on the 12th
June. ie... Full Moon within 15 degrees of the mag. 15
target star. My image can be seen here...
http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/daveg/...field_1sec.gif
The details of equipment and exposure are written on the
image, but in short, it's within reach of many amateurs.
I encourage everyone to try to observe this event even
if their position is not near the predicted paths for
Pluto and P2 as... -The prediction could be wrong. -We
could detect other bodies in the Pluto system as well as
other goals detailed on the website (above). -it's fun
and a chance to stretch your skills."
The person who originally alerted me of the occultation was Shevill
Mathers of the AST in Tasmania. Shevill is one of Australia's most dedicated
amateur astronomers and has been assisting a team at the University of
Tasmania, including donating time, energy and his own money into
making sure the Univeristy's 16" Newtonian will be ready for the observation.
The University recently purchased an Argo Navis which will form part of the
system, so we are delighted to play a small part.
We wish all those attempting to make the observation the best of luck.
Best Regards
Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
wildcard@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au