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.

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
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"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

"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