Observations of star occultations by asteroids

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In the International Occultation Timing Association - IOTA many observers worldwide, profi astronomers and amateurs, are involved to observe star occultations by minor planets, or by planets with their moons or by the Earthmoon accurately and to collect the results via internet. Thus very often informations about a minor planet can be upgraded without the need of an expensive and time consuming mission with a spacecraft. A determination of the body shape of this minor planets as well as the discovery of satellites is possible from earth by a sufficient number of observations with good separated observer positions. Also the current orbital elements of an asteroid can be determined very accurate in this way. For data evaluation reports about a negative occultation are important in the same manner as the mostly smaller number of positve occultation reports.