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Can anyone identify this satellite?



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 6th 06, 05:03 PM posted to sci.astro.satellites.visual-observe
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Default Can anyone identify this satellite?

Can anyone identify this satellite?

To the group:

Last night I observed a very bright satellite that I've been unable
to identify using heavens-above.com, and I'm hoping that someone in
this group might be able to tell me what I saw.

Here are the particulars:

Observation date and time: 0112 to 0113 GMT 06 June 2006 (margin of
error: plus or minus one minute)

Observer's location: 27.336N, 82.531W (Sarasota, Florida, USA)

Apparent motion of object: From NNW to SSE

Estimated maximum altitude: East at 75 degrees

Lowest observed altitude/time: SSE at 15-20 degrees (object faded
consistent with entering shadow)/0113 GMT 06 June 2006 (margin of
error: plus or minus one minute)

Estimated brightness: Magnitude -0.5

Quality of light/color: Steady (no flares)/light orange

Speed of pass: Appeared to be about 25% faster than "average" pass
of most satellites in low earth orbit

Observing conditions: Clear with a little less than a half moon high in
the sky

Additional details: I was not looking for a satellite in this part of
the sky when I saw this object, and when it caught my attention it had
already passed beyond its maximum elevation, thus I can only estimate
its maximum elevation by extrapolation of its observed path. At first I
thought it was low-flying airplane because of its speed (about 25%
faster than most satellites I've observed) and its brightness (I'm
not very good at estimating brightness, but it must have been in the
neighborhood of -0.5 based upon reference to a number of Space Shuttle
passes I've observed), but there were no flashing lights nor were
there wingtip navigation lights. The color remained a steady light
orange and did not flash. I observed the object for about 90 seconds
until it faded into darkness at bout 15 degrees above the SSE horizon
(the rate of fade was consistent with the way satellites fade when they
enter the shadow, and based upon predictions on heavens-above.com for
other satellites that were in that area of the sky around that time,
this would have been the area where the shadow would have been
encountered.)

Can anyone in the group identify this bird?

I thank the members of the group in advance for any help they might be
able to lend in identifying what I saw.

  #2  
Old June 6th 06, 08:38 PM posted to sci.astro.satellites.visual-observe
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Default Can anyone identify this satellite?

wrote:
Can anyone identify this satellite?

To the group:

Last night I observed a very bright satellite that I've been unable
to identify using heavens-above.com, and I'm hoping that someone in
this group might be able to tell me what I saw.

Here are the particulars:

Observation date and time: 0112 to 0113 GMT 06 June 2006 (margin of
error: plus or minus one minute)

Observer's location: 27.336N, 82.531W (Sarasota, Florida, USA)

Apparent motion of object: From NNW to SSE

Estimated maximum altitude: East at 75 degrees

Lowest observed altitude/time: SSE at 15-20 degrees (object faded
consistent with entering shadow)/0113 GMT 06 June 2006 (margin of
error: plus or minus one minute)

Estimated brightness: Magnitude -0.5

Quality of light/color: Steady (no flares)/light orange

Speed of pass: Appeared to be about 25% faster than "average" pass
of most satellites in low earth orbit

Observing conditions: Clear with a little less than a half moon high in
the sky

Additional details: I was not looking for a satellite in this part of
the sky when I saw this object, and when it caught my attention it had
already passed beyond its maximum elevation, thus I can only estimate
its maximum elevation by extrapolation of its observed path. At first I
thought it was low-flying airplane because of its speed (about 25%
faster than most satellites I've observed) and its brightness (I'm
not very good at estimating brightness, but it must have been in the
neighborhood of -0.5 based upon reference to a number of Space Shuttle
passes I've observed), but there were no flashing lights nor were
there wingtip navigation lights. The color remained a steady light
orange and did not flash. I observed the object for about 90 seconds
until it faded into darkness at bout 15 degrees above the SSE horizon
(the rate of fade was consistent with the way satellites fade when they
enter the shadow, and based upon predictions on heavens-above.com for
other satellites that were in that area of the sky around that time,
this would have been the area where the shadow would have been
encountered.)

Can anyone in the group identify this bird?


Using Heavens-Above, I find that Rosat (90049A / 20638) most likely is
what you observed:

http://www.heavens-above.com/PassDet...4.053537 7746

The predicted and observed path are in reasonably good agreement,
considering that you saw only the tail end of the pass. Predicted and
observed eclipse entry elevation also agree well. However, predicted
and observed time disagree by more than your stated margin of
uncertainty. Also, it was quite a bit brighter than predicted, but not
unreasonably so, given that satellites can flare.

I found one report of a reddish colour by an experienced satellite
observer:

http://satobs.org/seesat/Aug-1995/0105.html

I also found these photos which show that the object is predominantly
yellow/red, mainly due to the colour of its thermal blanket:

http://wave.xray.mpe.mpg.de/rosat/calendar/1993/nov

http://wave.xray.mpe.mpg.de/rosat/calendar/1994/nov

Ted Molczan

  #3  
Old June 7th 06, 12:01 AM posted to sci.astro.satellites.visual-observe
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Posts: n/a
Default Can anyone identify this satellite?

Ted,

Thanks so much for your reply and all of your careful research. I tend
to agree with you that what I saw was Rosat. As you noted, a lot of the
particulars agree with the predicted pass except for the time and the
magnitude. I could have been further in error in my time than I thought
(since I did not have on a watch and had to estimate the time lag
between my observation and when I got back into the house to consult a
fairly accurate watch), and as you say, the brightness could have been
a flare phenomenon. All in all, I think that Rosat fits the picture
(and what it a picture it was -- really one of the more incredible
sightings I have experienced in several years). I'll be especially
looking for this one the next time it makes a nice high pass --
unfortunately, that doesn't occur until 24 June, early in the morning.
If I see it again and it appears anything near what I saw last night,
I'll report back to the group.

Again, thanks for all the help on this.

--




wrote:

Using Heavens-Above, I find that Rosat (90049A / 20638) most likely is
what you observed:

http://www.heavens-above.com/PassDet...4.053537 7746

The predicted and observed path are in reasonably good agreement,
considering that you saw only the tail end of the pass. Predicted and
observed eclipse entry elevation also agree well. However, predicted
and observed time disagree by more than your stated margin of
uncertainty. Also, it was quite a bit brighter than predicted, but not
unreasonably so, given that satellites can flare.

I found one report of a reddish colour by an experienced satellite
observer:

http://satobs.org/seesat/Aug-1995/0105.html

I also found these photos which show that the object is predominantly
yellow/red, mainly due to the colour of its thermal blanket:

http://wave.xray.mpe.mpg.de/rosat/calendar/1993/nov

http://wave.xray.mpe.mpg.de/rosat/calendar/1994/nov

Ted Molczan



wrote:
Can anyone identify this satellite?

To the group:

Last night I observed a very bright satellite that I've been unable
to identify using heavens-above.com, and I'm hoping that someone in
this group might be able to tell me what I saw.

Here are the particulars:

Observation date and time: 0112 to 0113 GMT 06 June 2006 (margin of
error: plus or minus one minute)

Observer's location: 27.336N, 82.531W (Sarasota, Florida, USA)

Apparent motion of object: From NNW to SSE

Estimated maximum altitude: East at 75 degrees

Lowest observed altitude/time: SSE at 15-20 degrees (object faded
consistent with entering shadow)/0113 GMT 06 June 2006 (margin of
error: plus or minus one minute)

Estimated brightness: Magnitude -0.5

Quality of light/color: Steady (no flares)/light orange

Speed of pass: Appeared to be about 25% faster than "average" pass
of most satellites in low earth orbit

Observing conditions: Clear with a little less than a half moon high in
the sky

Additional details: I was not looking for a satellite in this part of
the sky when I saw this object, and when it caught my attention it had
already passed beyond its maximum elevation, thus I can only estimate
its maximum elevation by extrapolation of its observed path. At first I
thought it was low-flying airplane because of its speed (about 25%
faster than most satellites I've observed) and its brightness (I'm
not very good at estimating brightness, but it must have been in the
neighborhood of -0.5 based upon reference to a number of Space Shuttle
passes I've observed), but there were no flashing lights nor were
there wingtip navigation lights. The color remained a steady light
orange and did not flash. I observed the object for about 90 seconds
until it faded into darkness at bout 15 degrees above the SSE horizon
(the rate of fade was consistent with the way satellites fade when they
enter the shadow, and based upon predictions on heavens-above.com for
other satellites that were in that area of the sky around that time,
this would have been the area where the shadow would have been
encountered.)

Can anyone in the group identify this bird?


  #4  
Old June 7th 06, 02:41 PM posted to sci.astro.satellites.visual-observe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Can anyone identify this satellite?

wrote:
Ted,

Thanks so much for your reply and all of your careful research. I tend
to agree with you that what I saw was Rosat. As you noted, a lot of the
particulars agree with the predicted pass except for the time and the
magnitude. I could have been further in error in my time than I thought
(since I did not have on a watch and had to estimate the time lag
between my observation and when I got back into the house to consult a
fairly accurate watch), and as you say, the brightness could have been
a flare phenomenon. All in all, I think that Rosat fits the picture
(and what it a picture it was -- really one of the more incredible
sightings I have experienced in several years). I'll be especially
looking for this one the next time it makes a nice high pass --
unfortunately, that doesn't occur until 24 June, early in the morning.
If I see it again and it appears anything near what I saw last night,
I'll report back to the group.

Again, thanks for all the help on this.


Russell Eberst informs me that Cosmos 2405 (04020A / 28350) is a better
match to your observation:

http://www.heavens-above.com/PassDet...4.049552 5356

My guess as to the reason for its absence in the general Heavens-Above
predictions is that it was for lack of a standard magnitude.

In any case, the predicted time and track are in excellent agreement
with your observation, and it has been observed to be quite bright and
to flare even than your observation:

http://satobs.org/seesat/Jun-2006/0011.html

http://satobs.org/seesat/Jun-2006/0015.html

Ted Molczan

 




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