Measure Distant Asteroids With a DIY Rig

I’ve seen two total solar eclipses and have been duly impressed by what happens as the moon casts its shadow on Earth. But recently I’ve become even more intrigued by a similar phenomenon that doesn’t involve the sun or the moon—something called an asteroid occultation. That’s what happens when an asteroid orbits around the solar system and blocks the light of a distant star you’re viewing from Earth.