OAO 2 Breaking up?

I just watched OAO 2 (68110-A) make a pass. It was trailed by an
object about one magnitude dimmer; neither satellite appeared to be
tumbling. I watched them through binoculars for over a minute and
they maintained the same separation (about three degrees) throughout
this time.

Whatever I saw wasn't the OAO 2 upper stage; H-A put that in a
different part of the sky, thirteen minutes earlier. So has a solar
panel or something fallen off OAO 2? Or have I once again spotted
a known satellite in a similar orbit?

--Bill Thompson

Ted Molczan wrote:

"William R. Thompson" wrote:
I just watched OAO 2 (68110-A) make a pass. It was trailed by an
object about one magnitude dimmer; neither satellite appeared to be
tumbling. I watched them through binoculars for over a minute and
they maintained the same separation (about three degrees) throughout
this time.

OAO 1's upper stage is nearly coplanar with OAO 2, and was trailing by about
5 s in time, which could have translated to 3 deg, depending on their range
from you:

Thank you for the detective work! I checked H-A, and the OAO 1 Agena is
a perfect match for what I saw.

--Bill Thompson

Ted Molczan wrote:

"William R. Thompson" wrote:
I just watched OAO 2 (68110-A) make a pass. It was trailed by an
object about one magnitude dimmer; neither satellite appeared to be
tumbling. I watched them through binoculars for over a minute and
they maintained the same separation (about three degrees) throughout
this time.

OAO 1's upper stage is nearly coplanar with OAO 2, and was trailing by about
5 s in time, which could have translated to 3 deg, depending on their range
from you:

Thank you for the detective work! I checked H-A, and the OAO 1 Agena is
a perfect match for what I saw.

--Bill Thompson