Exploration of the Outer Solar System by Stellar Occultations
Résumé
Stellar occultations are a powerful method for exploring the outer solar system, where faintness and small angular diameters prevent us from exploring in details objects like satellites, rings, or Kuiper Belt Objects. Unique kilometric spatial resolutions or better can be reached through that method. Occultations usually observe identified objects whose trajectory is known, though the occultation events might be difficult to predict. It is also possible to explore populations of small objects populations whose density in the sky plane is large enough to search for serendipitous occultations. Various instrumental methods exist for both predicted and serendipitous occultation, both needing fast photometric recordings of target stars.