The occultation of BD -15 3969 by the rings of Uranus.

Photoelectric observations of the December 23, 1977, occultation of BD -15 deg 3969 by the rings of Uranus are analyzed. The observations were made with a 1.5-m IR flux collector and clearly show the occultations of the star by the epsilon, delta, gamma, and alpha rings prior to the star's disappearance behind the planet. Detection of the beta-ring occultation is uncertain, but several features were observed which may be due to occultations of the star by objects other than the five major rings. It is noted that no other occultations with both a duration and depth comparable to the epsilon-ring event were observed between the orbit of Miranda and the limb of Uranus. The results suggest that the epsilon ring does not consist of two fragments but rather is a complete ring which may be either circular and inclined slightly with respect to the four inner rings or coplanar and elliptical.