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Unknown Satellite



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 17th 04, 02:54 AM
Bill Arnold
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Default Unknown Satellite

Greetings,

I need some help from anyone. I was outside waiting on Iridium 77 to flare
tonight when I saw an unknown satellite passing, N to S, about half-way
between Saiph and Rigel, at the bottom of Orion. The satellite was about the
same brightness as Saiph. The time was about 6:56 pm, give or take 30
seconds, CST. I am sorry my timing is not a little better.

My location is 30:29:07 N 89:00:09 W.

I was not able to id the satellite with mccants.tle, and I am unable to
access the 8,000 + satellite list.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill


  #2  
Old February 17th 04, 11:31 AM
Ed Cannon
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Default Unknown Satellite

In article , Bill says...

I saw an unknown satellite passing, N to S, about half-way
between Saiph and Rigel, at the bottom of Orion. The satellite
was about the same brightness as Saiph. The time was about
6:56 pm, give or take 30 seconds, CST....

My location is 30:29:07 N 89:00:09 W.

I was not able to id the satellite with mccants.tle, and
I am unable to access the 8,000 + satellite list.


It appears that DMSP B5A-01 (04331, 70-012A) may be the best
candidate. Its elements are in the leo.tle file on Mike
McCants' web site. It's not very big, but I think that all
DMSP satellites can flare/glint and/or flash. The only other
one I get in that location at the right time was Pansat (25520,
98-064B), but it wasn't going the right direction; it was
going pretty nearly horizontally, west to east. It is in the
mccants.tle file, but it's a very small satellite predicted to
be only about +7.

Ed Cannon - - Austin, Texas, USA

  #3  
Old February 17th 04, 11:31 AM
Ed Cannon
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Unknown Satellite

In article , Bill says...

I saw an unknown satellite passing, N to S, about half-way
between Saiph and Rigel, at the bottom of Orion. The satellite
was about the same brightness as Saiph. The time was about
6:56 pm, give or take 30 seconds, CST....

My location is 30:29:07 N 89:00:09 W.

I was not able to id the satellite with mccants.tle, and
I am unable to access the 8,000 + satellite list.


It appears that DMSP B5A-01 (04331, 70-012A) may be the best
candidate. Its elements are in the leo.tle file on Mike
McCants' web site. It's not very big, but I think that all
DMSP satellites can flare/glint and/or flash. The only other
one I get in that location at the right time was Pansat (25520,
98-064B), but it wasn't going the right direction; it was
going pretty nearly horizontally, west to east. It is in the
mccants.tle file, but it's a very small satellite predicted to
be only about +7.

Ed Cannon - - Austin, Texas, USA

 




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