Triton stellar occultation candidates

Star positions near Triton's projected orbit as determined by the DE405 ephemeris and NEP016 orbit model were measured on (unfiltered) CCD strip scans recorded with the 0.6 m telescope at the George R. Wallace Astrophysical Observatory to a depth of 16th to 18th magnitude, depending on the quality of individual strip scans.

Within 1.0" of the predicted orbit of Triton during this period, 128 stars were found, including 12 stars brighter than 14th magnitude. Only appulses with geocentric minimum separations of less than about 0.37" will result in an occultation visible from Earth, but potential errors in the ephemeris and in the positions of our candidates preclude accurate prediction of actual occultation events without further astrometry.