Jupiter oddity

One thought was that I was seeing things, once it crossed the full disc
I was pretty sure I wasn't. I still have to check "heavens above" for
satellites but wouldn't a satellite be white (reflection) before and after
the transit? This thing only showed up during the transit with no evidence
before or after. Thinking about that I remember seeing a similar thing last
year across the moon and it eventually translated to be a sent rocket
booster or something. either way it could be a satellite or other space
junk. My thoughts a few minutes afterward was a relatively near by
asteroid, who knows maybe I did see one... I'll check heavens above.

Thanks gang,
Michael A. Barlow

"Michael Barlow" wrote in message
...
One thought was that I was seeing things, once it crossed the full
disc
I was pretty sure I wasn't. I still have to check "heavens above" for
satellites but wouldn't a satellite be white (reflection) before and after
the transit? This thing only showed up during the transit with no
evidence
before or after. Thinking about that I remember seeing a similar thing
last
year across the moon and it eventually translated to be a sent rocket
booster or something. either way it could be a satellite or other space
junk. My thoughts a few minutes afterward was a relatively near by
asteroid, who knows maybe I did see one... I'll check heavens above.

Thanks gang,
Michael A. Barlow


Michael,

A low orbiting Earth satellite would be dark,
not lit, unless it was right around sunset. The Earth
blocks the light of the Sun. Only if it is farther out in
space, such as a geosynchronus satellite (far enough out
that the Earth does not block the sun) would it be
illuminated. You would not be seeing a shadow cast on
Jupiter, but rather the dark, Earth facing side of the
satellite.

Thanks, Tom Davis

It may have been a high earth orbiting satellite. I’ve seen similar to what you describe crossing the face of the moon, but lasting longer because of the size difference (moon vs jupiter).

On 2004-02-25, Michael Barlow wrote:

One thought was that I was seeing things, once it crossed the full disc
I was pretty sure I wasn't. I still have to check "heavens above" for
satellites but wouldn't a satellite be white (reflection) before and after
the transit?

You wouldn't see the satellite if it wasn't in the sunlight.