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Just spotted the MESSENGER second stage



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 9th 04, 08:15 AM
William R. Thompson
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Default Just spotted the MESSENGER second stage

Catching it took a six inch, f/8 Newtonian with a low-powered ocular,
but it was right when and where Heavens-Above said it would be. The
Delta second stage was abou ninth magnitude and did not appear to be
tumbling. The apparent motion was so slow (15-20 seconds to cross a
half-degree field of view) that I was able to hand-guide the scope and
observe it for several minutes.

--Bill Thompson
  #2  
Old August 21st 04, 07:00 PM
PZeller66
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Apparently, according to H-A, there is a good pass of that rocket this
evening (Sat. 8/21). It looks as if it will be fairly close to apogee and
crossing Aquila (among other constellations of course). I'll try to get a look
at it. With such a low perigee I assume it can't last in orbit much longer!

Paul Z
Indianapolis IN
  #3  
Old August 22nd 04, 04:25 AM
PZeller66
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I was able to observe the MESSENGER Delta R/B (2004-030B) tonight from about
9:37:20 to 9:40:00 CST (2:37:20 - 2:40:00 UT Aug. 22nd). I printed out a chart
from Heavens-Above earlier in the evening and set up the 10" f/4 telescope on
an area about 2 degrees south of Alpha Ophiuchi.

The satellite soared into view right on time and right where the chart said it
would, and I was able to move the telescope manually and follow it through
about 12 and a half degrees of sky as it flew off to the east. I watched it
pass just north of 72 Ophiuchi and through some showy star fields of the summer
Milky Way before losing sight of it as it neared Aquila. Amazing! I've never
seen a rocket booster in orbit that was used in launching a probe to another
planet!

I thought it was between about 8.5 - 9.0 magnitude and steady, though it
wasn't easy to make a good brightness estimate. If it was tumbling at all it
must be extremely slow, and I missed it while making adjustments to the
telescope field of view. It took about 18 seconds to cross my low power field,
which at 39X is about 1.3 degrees.

Thanks again to Bill Thompson for pointing this one out, while it's still in
orbit!

I have a couple more satellites to check out tonight. If I'm lucky (and ready
to stay up until dawn) I'll be able to catch a pass of 2004-028B and one of the
ISS.

Paul Z

  #4  
Old August 24th 04, 01:51 PM
William R. Thompson
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PZeller66 wrote:

Amazing! I've never
seen a rocket booster in orbit that was used in launching a probe to another
planet!


I don't think any others are still in orbit. The Space Calendar (posted
monthly on sci.space.news) lists some upcoming launches. The Cosmos
solar sail is due for launch some time in September, which should give
two objects to watch. The Deep Impact comet probe is scheduled for
launch
on December 30; Japan plans to launch the Lunar-A probe some time
in January; the Lunar TrailBlazer is supposed to launch in March 2005.

The MESSENGER probe is scheduled to fly past Earth sometime in July
2005.
Also, the Genesis probe should return to Earth on September 8th, but its
return trajectory will take it over the daylit portion of the Earth.
C-SPAN carried the mission press conference last week. The probe will
land at Dugway Proving Ground in north-west Utah, after entering from
the north-west. Its entry might be visible in the daylight sky.

Thanks again to Bill Thompson for pointing this one out, while it's still in
orbit!


You're welcome.

I have a couple more satellites to check out tonight. If I'm lucky (and ready
to stay up until dawn) I'll be able to catch a pass of 2004-028B and one of the
ISS.


I spotted 04-028B this morning (the skies have finally cleared), but I
couldn't make much of an estimate on its tumble rate--two or three times
a minute, perhaps. The variation in its brightness was unmistakable,
although I couldn't see any sharp peaks in it.

--Bill Thompson
  #5  
Old August 24th 04, 06:19 PM
Jonathan Silverlight
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In message , William R. Thompson
writes
PZeller66 wrote:

Amazing! I've never
seen a rocket booster in orbit that was used in launching a probe to another
planet!


I don't think any others are still in orbit. The Space Calendar (posted
monthly on sci.space.news) lists some upcoming launches. The Cosmos
solar sail is due for launch some time in September, which should give
two objects to watch. The Deep Impact comet probe is scheduled for
launch
on December 30; Japan plans to launch the Lunar-A probe some time
in January; the Lunar TrailBlazer is supposed to launch in March 2005.

The MESSENGER probe is scheduled to fly past Earth sometime in July
2005.


Has that date changed? The web site still shows August 1 (my birthday !)
  #6  
Old August 25th 04, 03:19 AM
William R. Thompson
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Jonathan Silverlight wrote:

William R. Thompson wrote:


The MESSENGER probe is scheduled to fly past Earth sometime in July
2005.


Has that date changed? The web site still shows August 1 (my birthday !)


The Space Calendar says this:

"July 2005
* Jul ?? - MESSENGER, Earth Flyby"

This was written before the launch; the web site is bound to be more
accurate. Thanks for the update.

On an earlier topic, there's one more lunar booster still in Earth
orbit; it's the Ariane 5 upper stage that carried the SMART-1 probe.
It's one of the objects from the 2003-043 launch, but I don't
know which one. I'm relying on the H-A listing here.

--Bill Thompson
  #7  
Old August 25th 04, 08:30 AM
Jonathan Silverlight
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In message , William R. Thompson
writes
Jonathan Silverlight wrote:

William R. Thompson wrote:


The MESSENGER probe is scheduled to fly past Earth sometime in July
2005.


Has that date changed? The web site still shows August 1 (my birthday !)


The Space Calendar says this:

"July 2005
* Jul ?? - MESSENGER, Earth Flyby"

This was written before the launch; the web site is bound to be more
accurate. Thanks for the update.

On an earlier topic, there's one more lunar booster still in Earth
orbit; it's the Ariane 5 upper stage that carried the SMART-1 probe.
It's one of the objects from the 2003-043 launch, but I don't
know which one. I'm relying on the H-A listing here.


I've asked this before, but has anyone seen SMART-1? The elements on
Heavens Above are for November 18, 2003, so they won't be much help!
  #8  
Old August 25th 04, 09:19 AM
Ed Cannon
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Amazing! I've never seen a rocket booster in orbit that was
used in launching a probe to another planet!


At least these three others are still in orbit, all Inertial
Upper Stage vehicles:

Magellan IUS
1 19970U 89033C 04231.86902853 .00000884 00000-0 34505-3 0 2285
2 19970 27.8448 148.1258 6209025 231.5157 54.6280 3.71287104193919
Galileo IUS r 5.0 2.5 0.0 4.5 v 17
1 20299U 89084C 04236.47718732 .00196744 -14542-6 82001-3 0 3931
2 20299 34.0971 0.8441 2055500 356.0110 2.6111 11.54188165274282
Ulysses Rk
1 20843U 90090C 04232.60258109 .00002022 00000-0 90991-3 0 2773
2 20843 28.4306 320.5979 6868684 350.6587 1.3564 2.79124256134732

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/past/magellan.html
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00727
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/comets/ulysses.html

I've managed to see the MESSENGER Delta a couple of times now,
using 8x42 binoculars, thanks to Mike McCants having
predictions for it when I didn't.

I don't remember hearing if anyone has seen SMART 1. One problem
with it was that it was (almost?) constantly accelerating, which
made any orbital elements go obsolete quickly. Another issue is
how soon it got far enough away to be really faint.

Ed Cannon - - Austin
(Remove "donotspam".)

  #9  
Old August 26th 04, 06:23 AM
PZeller66
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I never did see 04-028B that morning (Sunday), though a great pass was
predicted. Skies were clear, but dense fog moved in after midnight and made any
sky watching worthless. I am starting to look forward, more and more, to clear,
cool, dry autumn evenings.
  #10  
Old August 30th 04, 02:13 PM
William R. Thompson
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Ed Cannon wrote:

At least these three others are still in orbit, all Inertial
Upper Stage vehicles:


Magellan IUS
1 19970U 89033C 04231.86902853 .00000884 00000-0 34505-3 0 2285
2 19970 27.8448 148.1258 6209025 231.5157 54.6280 3.71287104193919
Galileo IUS r 5.0 2.5 0.0 4.5 v 17
1 20299U 89084C 04236.47718732 .00196744 -14542-6 82001-3 0 3931
2 20299 34.0971 0.8441 2055500 356.0110 2.6111 11.54188165274282
Ulysses Rk
1 20843U 90090C 04232.60258109 .00002022 00000-0 90991-3 0 2773
2 20843 28.4306 320.5979 6868684 350.6587 1.3564 2.79124256134732


Thanks for posting these; I hadm't realized they were still in orbit.
I spotted the Galileo object just before dawn today. I saw it through
a 6" reflector, and it seemed bright enough to be spotted through
binoculars.

--Bill Thompson
 




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