Oz Space Explosion -- old 'Briz' transfer stage

ROCKET EXPLOSION: Australian astronomer Ray Palmer was photographing the
Southern Cross from his observatory in Western Australia on Feb. 19th when a
flaming plume cut across the Milky Way. "I had no idea what it was," he
says. "It was moving very slowly and I was able to track it for 35 minutes."

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod200...07/palmer2.jpg

Photo details: Nikon FM2, 50mm lens, Kodak Elite Chrome 200, 30 minutes.

In mid-apparition the object exploded. Gordon Garradd of New South Wales
photographed an expanding cloud filled with specks of debris. Tim Thorpe of
South Australia saw it, too. "Quite a surreal scene," he says.

What was it? It was a mystery for almost 24 hours until satellite expert
Daniel Deak matched the trajectory of the plume in Palmer's photo with the
orbit of a derelict rocket booster--"a Briz-M, catalog number 28944."

One year ago, the Briz-M sat atop a Russian Proton rocket that left Earth on
Feb. 28, 2006, carrying an Arabsat-4A communications satellite. Shortly
after launch, the rocket malfunctioned, leaving the satellite in the wrong
orbit and the Briz-M looping around Earth partially-filled with fuel. On
Feb. 19, 2007, for reasons unknown, the fuel ignited over Australia.

Jon P. Boers of the USAF Space Surveillance System confirms the ID and notes
"later, on the other side of the world, our RADAR saw 500+ pieces in that
orbit." Some of the fragments are visible in this movie made by Rob McNaught
at the Siding Spring Observatory, NSW, Australia:

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod200.../mcnaught1.gif

Photo details: Canon 5D, 50mm lens, f/1.4, 20 x 20sec exposures.

"Spica is at the right edge of the animation and the fragments are moving to
the north and east," he says.

In article ,
"Jim Oberg" wrote:

One year ago, the Briz-M sat atop a Russian Proton rocket that left Earth on
Feb. 28, 2006, carrying an Arabsat-4A communications satellite. Shortly
after launch, the rocket malfunctioned, leaving the satellite in the wrong
orbit and the Briz-M looping around Earth partially-filled with fuel. On
Feb. 19, 2007, for reasons unknown, the fuel ignited over Australia.

Jon P. Boers of the USAF Space Surveillance System confirms the ID and notes
"later, on the other side of the world, our RADAR saw 500+ pieces in that
orbit." Some of the fragments are visible in this movie made by Rob McNaught
at the Siding Spring Observatory, NSW, Australia:

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod200.../mcnaught1.gif

That's some great photography.

Anybody know what altitude (perigee) that stuff is in, and how long it's
expected to take to decay?

Best,
- Joe

On Feb 21, 3:43 pm, "Jim Oberg" wrote:
ROCKET EXPLOSION: Australian astronomer Ray Palmer was photographing the
Southern Cross from his observatory in Western Australia on Feb. 19th when a
flaming plume cut across the Milky Way. "I had no idea what it was," he
says. "It was moving very slowly and I was able to track it for 35 minutes."

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod200...07/palmer2.jpg

Photo details: Nikon FM2, 50mm lens, Kodak Elite Chrome 200, 30 minutes.

In mid-apparition the object exploded. Gordon Garradd of New South Wales
photographed an expanding cloud filled with specks of debris. Tim Thorpe of
South Australia saw it, too. "Quite a surreal scene," he says.

What was it? It was a mystery for almost 24 hours until satellite expert
Daniel Deak matched the trajectory of the plume in Palmer's photo with the
orbit of a derelict rocket booster--"a Briz-M, catalog number 28944."

One year ago, the Briz-M sat atop a Russian Proton rocket that left Earth on
Feb. 28, 2006, carrying an Arabsat-4A communications satellite. Shortly
after launch, the rocket malfunctioned, leaving the satellite in the wrong
orbit and the Briz-M looping around Earth partially-filled with fuel. On
Feb. 19, 2007, for reasons unknown, the fuel ignited over Australia.

Jon P. Boers of the USAF Space Surveillance System confirms the ID and notes
"later, on the other side of the world, our RADAR saw 500+ pieces in that
orbit." Some of the fragments are visible in this movie made by Rob McNaught
at the Siding Spring Observatory, NSW, Australia:

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod200.../mcnaught1.gif

Photo details: Canon 5D, 50mm lens, f/1.4, 20 x 20sec exposures.

"Spica is at the right edge of the animation and the fragments are moving to
the north and east," he says.



The Fiery Mountain, and a magic Horse

Right that looks a killer to me... and what is even more formidable
even Gran'da'dy Das Kapitain Achmed, the Time Traveler, in his pirate
arcship. Diablo can be seen flying behind the Star of
Doom...McNaughty.

Coordinating that everything is gone exactly as planned...

I told ye all Gran'da'dy is doing his Job... and his Lance shall
pierce his Red haired wife tent and kill the one who is found there in.
(Hi hi hi I think it shall be a FROG)

Me he wont kill since I received the message, "Don't Enter the Red
TENT". I wont try to kiss his Queen, whiteout authorizations of my
Gran'da'dy, His Highness. Even fools know that in the Kingdom's of his
Highness of Heaven and Earth...

Now.. Pay Tribute or walk the Planck

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adv..._Prince_Achmed

This clumsy explainer-away needs to hand in his secret debunker decoder
ring.

He didn't get THE WORD -- a 'Briz upper stage explosion after a year in
space",
plus Venus reflecting off an inversion layer through swamp gas...

Wrong satellite, wrong explosion -- no points for form, either.



http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...2/s1853296.htm

Satellite debris sparks UFO sightings
A spate of UFO sightings across Gippsland in Victoria has been attributed to
debris from a Chinese satellite.

A number of sightings were reported earlier this week of a distinct circular
glow in the early morning sky.

Gavin Dinsdale of the Latrobe Valley Astronomical Society says China
destroyed one of its obsolete satellites with a missile earlier this month.

He says the orbit of the resulting space junk coincides with the sightings.

"Around 35,000 small bits of junk around in that particular orbit, now we've
got lots of tiny little ones," he said.

"About 950 pieces, around four inches or 10 centimetres across, but the rest
of it's just small bits of shrapnel that's all that's left."

"Jim Oberg" wrote in message
...

Feb. 19, 2007, for reasons unknown, the fuel ignited over Australia.

hypothesis: foreign object impact created justr enough of a spark in the
fuel tank, with just enough residual oxidizer.

--
Terrell Miller


"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the
work of one extraordinary man."
- Elbert Hubbard