講演情報
[PO2-24]Astronomical education transcends borders and generations through observations of asteroid occultations
*Fumi Yoshida1,2,11, Tsutomu Hayamizu3,11, Hayato Watanabe4,11, Hiroshi Akitaya2,11, Kazuhisa Miyashita4,11, Hirotomo Noda5,11, Mitsuru Sôma5,11, Chilong Lin6,11, Ye Yuan7,11, Wai-Chun Yue8,11, Toshihiro Horaguchi9,11, Kenta Kono10,11, Hisashi Kasebe11, Hiroshi Kishimoto11, Hidehito Yamamura11, David Dunham12,11 (1. University of Occupational and Environmental Health (Japan), 2. Chiba Institute of Technology (Japan), 3. Saga Hoshizora Astronomy Center (Japan), 4. Japan Occultation Information Network (Japan), 5. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Japan), 6. National Museum of Natural Science (Taiwan), 7. Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), 8. Hong Kong Astronomical Society (Hong Kong), 9. National Museum of Nature and Science Animal Research Department (Japan), 10. Miyazaki Kita High School (Japan), 11. International Occultation Timing Association-East Asia (Japan), 12. International Occultation Timing Association (USA))
キーワード：
Occultation、Asteroids、Education for public
Occultation observations, where the moon or asteroids hide background stars, have been very popular in Japan. There are occultation observation groups around the world, many of which consist of amateur astronomers. Recently, however, occultation observations have also begun to attract the attention of researchers. This is due to the significantly improved accuracy of asteroid occultation predictions. There are two main reasons: (1) the Gaia satellite's precise positional measurements of faint stars down to magnitude 16 and (2) all-sky surveys with large telescopes that increased the orbital accuracy of asteroids. Observing asteroid occultations is the optimal method for directly measuring an asteroid's shape and size without making assumed models. Occultation observations have contributed significantly to planetary flyby missions, such as NASA's New Horizons and JAXA's DESTINY+. Consequently, a global network of researchers and amateur astronomers has formed to observe asteroid occultations. International Occultation Timing Association-East Asia (IOTA/EA), primarily based in Japan, is part of this network.Seeing a star vanish in front of your eyes is a fascinating phenomenon, making asteroid occultations ideal targets for observation at public observatories, high school and university stargazing events, and astronomy club meetings. This phenomenon can also spark thoughts about the asteroid's motion and size, as well as Earth's movement. The joy of succeeding in precise measurements is truly special. Since the asteroid's occultation path extends into neighboring countries, cross-border collaborative observations are possible. By encouraging everyone to observe, measure, and learn the principles, I hope to promote astronomy education that transcends borders and generations.