#1
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Peculiar sighting
Appx 1250hrs GMT I saw a reasonably bright object which looked just like
a satellite traversing the sky from the south west to northeast. It was just a single point of light and there were no navigation lights to indicate it was an aircraft. It was at an elevation of about 60 degrees when I saw it. Because I live at Adelaide, South Australia, the object was well outside the satellite visibility window, the earth's shadow having well taken over. Local time being 11.20pm. I went to get hold of some binoculars which only took a few seconds, but when I looked again there was no sign of it. I can't discount the fact that what I may have seen was some sort of rocket burn, possibly to facilitate a manoeuvre. Any comments/suggestions appreciated. Sid. |
#2
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Peculiar sighting
Sid Snot wrote in news:1aZhf.4510$ea6.1567@news-
server.bigpond.net.au: Appx 1250hrs GMT I saw a reasonably bright object which looked just like a satellite traversing the sky from the south west to northeast. It was just a single point of light and there were no navigation lights to indicate it was an aircraft. It was at an elevation of about 60 degrees when I saw it. Because I live at Adelaide, South Australia, the object was well outside the satellite visibility window, the earth's shadow having well taken over. Local time being 11.20pm. I went to get hold of some binoculars which only took a few seconds, but when I looked again there was no sign of it. I can't discount the fact that what I may have seen was some sort of rocket burn, possibly to facilitate a manoeuvre. Any comments/suggestions appreciated. Sid. Just because of where you live and the time does not mean you can't see a satellite. There are satellites that fly high enough to stay in sunlight. Possibly the satellite had entered shadow when you went to get your binocs. Also, sometimes it's difficult to see the navigation lights on aircraft naked eye. I've been tricked by that before myself. Once I get binocs on the object it's obvious it's an airplane. Perhaps someone else lurking might be able to ID your object, given your location, time and object description. Brian -- http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? Like censorship and not getting support help? Switch to Supernews! |
#3
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Peculiar sighting
"Skywise" wrote in message ... Sid Snot wrote in news:1aZhf.4510$ea6.1567@news- server.bigpond.net.au: Appx 1250hrs GMT I saw a reasonably bright object which looked just like a satellite traversing the sky from the south west to northeast. It was just a single point of light and there were no navigation lights to indicate it was an aircraft. It was at an elevation of about 60 degrees when I saw it. Because I live at Adelaide, South Australia, the object was well outside the satellite visibility window, the earth's shadow having well taken over. Local time being 11.20pm. I went to get hold of some binoculars which only took a few seconds, but when I looked again there was no sign of it. I can't discount the fact that what I may have seen was some sort of rocket burn, possibly to facilitate a manoeuvre. Any comments/suggestions appreciated. Sid. Just because of where you live and the time does not mean you can't see a satellite. There are satellites that fly high enough to stay in sunlight. Possibly the satellite had entered shadow when you went to get your binocs. Also, sometimes it's difficult to see the navigation lights on aircraft naked eye. I've been tricked by that before myself. Once I get binocs on the object it's obvious it's an airplane. Perhaps someone else lurking might be able to ID your object, given your location, time and object description. Would Lacrosse 5 "flare" like an Iridium? http://heavens-above.com/PassDetails...682.5367027333 Heavens-above says mag 3.0 which could match "reasonably bright" SW to NE is right. Disappears at 23:22 pm local which is right. http://heavens-above.com is your satellite pass friend. Steve Vernon |
#4
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Peculiar sighting
"Steve Vernon" wrote in message
... "Skywise" wrote in message ... Sid Snot wrote in news:1aZhf.4510$ea6.1567@news- server.bigpond.net.au: Appx 1250hrs GMT I saw a reasonably bright object which looked just like a satellite traversing the sky from the south west to northeast. It was just a single point of light and there were no navigation lights to indicate it was an aircraft. It was at an elevation of about 60 degrees when I saw it. Because I live at Adelaide, South Australia, the object was well outside the satellite visibility window, the earth's shadow having well taken over. Local time being 11.20pm. I went to get hold of some binoculars which only took a few seconds, but when I looked again there was no sign of it. I can't discount the fact that what I may have seen was some sort of rocket burn, possibly to facilitate a manoeuvre. Any comments/suggestions appreciated. Sid. Just because of where you live and the time does not mean you can't see a satellite. There are satellites that fly high enough to stay in sunlight. Possibly the satellite had entered shadow when you went to get your binocs. Also, sometimes it's difficult to see the navigation lights on aircraft naked eye. I've been tricked by that before myself. Once I get binocs on the object it's obvious it's an airplane. Perhaps someone else lurking might be able to ID your object, given your location, time and object description. Would Lacrosse 5 "flare" like an Iridium? http://heavens-above.com/PassDetails...682.5367027333 Heavens-above says mag 3.0 which could match "reasonably bright" SW to NE is right. Disappears at 23:22 pm local which is right. http://heavens-above.com is your satellite pass friend. I agree that Lacrosse 5 is the likely explanation. Heavens-Above's prediction of magnitude 3 was based on an outdated standard magntide of 3.4 (1000 km, 90 deg phase angle). Analysis of more than 140 observations reveals std mag is about 2.7 +/- 1.3, with almost no effect from phase angle. My calculations show predicted brightness just before entering eclipse of 2.3 (average), with the possibility of reaching about mag 1.0. Lacrosse 5 is the first spacecraft of the series that is not distinctly reddish in colour. The human eye's lower sensitivity to the red part of the spectrum is throught to explain why the earlier Lacrosses did not appear quite as bright. Ted Molczan |
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