The purpose of this proposal is to request support for the PI to travel to the 3.6M devasthal optical telescope (DOT) in india for the 12 november 2024 uranus stellar occultation. This will be the…

The Space Science Institute, a non-profit research organization based in Boulder, Colorado, received a $3,419.09 research grant from NASA's Shared Services Center, awarded on November 7, 2024, with an ultimate completion date of November 14, 2025. This grant supports travel for the Principal Investigator to the 3.6-Meter Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) in India to observe a Uranus stellar occultation scheduled for November 12, 2024. This represents the first opportunity in two decades to observe an occultation by the Uranus atmosphere and rings, providing critical scientific data on ring dynamics and the thermal structure of the near-equatorial stratosphere.

The on-site presence of the PI at the DOT is essential given their deep expertise in occultation observations, understanding of the scientific objectives, familiarity with prediction details and uncertainties, and experience conducting observations under varying conditions. The observations will generate valuable data to advance understanding of Uranus and inform planning for the potential NASA Uranus Orbiter/Probe flagship mission. The DOT is ideally positioned for this event and is the largest telescope approved to observe the occultation. No other team members possess the requisite knowledge and experience to conduct these critical observations, making the PI's travel an integral component of the scientific mission's success.

The purpose of this proposal is to request support for the PI to travel to the 3.6M devasthal optical telescope (DOT) in india for the 12 november 2024 uranus stellar occultation. This will be the first opportunity to observe an occultation by the uranus atmosphere and rings in two decades. Successful observations would be valuable both for advancing our understanding of the dynamics of the rings and the thermal structure of the near-equatorial stratosphere, and also for planning of the uranus orbiter/probe mission under consideration as an upcoming NASA flagship mission. The DOT is ideally situated for the event, with uranus being high in the sky at the time of the occultation. IT is the largest telescope that has been approved to observe the occultation, and past experience has shown that for ring and atmosphere stellar occultations, IT is extremely helpful to have someone present at the telescope who is deeply familiar with the scientific objectives of the proposal, the details of the predictions and their uncertainties, and deep experience in occultation observations under widely varying conditions. No other proposal team members with this knowledge and experience will be able to travel to the DOT.