Reliability of minor planet satellite observations

Abstract

In an examination of the reliability of occultation observations of minor planet companions, redundant photoelectric observations have been made of possible occultation events. These observations indicate that spurious events may be easily misidentified as true occultations, and that caution must be exercised in interpreting such occurrences. Further analysis of observations of the 1973 Pallas occultation suggests that earlier results may be unreliable.