is Bigelow Genesis-I big enough for naked eye?

Hello everyone,

Considering it's inflatable and has solar panels, is it large enough (15'
length, 12' diameter) to be seen with naked eye?

Thanks!

D~




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DA wrote:
Hello everyone,

Considering it's inflatable and has solar panels, is it large enough (15'
length, 12' diameter) to be seen with naked eye?

Yes, it is visible to the unaided eye under favourable circumstances.
Based on its dimensions, and assuming typical reflectivity, I had
estimated a standard magnitude of 6.2 (at 1000 km, 90 deg phase angle),
which under ideal circumstances would yield an observed magnitude of
4.5.

I am aware of only one observation report, so far. Russell Eberst
observed it on a less than ideal pass at mag 3.7, about 2.5 magnitudes
brighter than my std mag predicted.

Ted Molczan

"DA" wrote:

Considering it's inflatable and has solar panels, is it large enough (15'
length, 12' diameter) to be seen with naked eye?

Yes. I spotted it a short while ago. It was about
fourth magnitude, and while the near-full moon made
observation difficult, I could track it with the naked eye.

--Bill Thompson

In message , DA
writes
Hello everyone,

Considering it's inflatable and has solar panels, is it large enough (15'
length, 12' diameter) to be seen with naked eye?

I would think so, though I don't know what colour it is. Might be made
of dark material ;-)
Have the orbital elements been posted yet? The only thing I've found is
the inclination (64 degrees, so it should be visible to almost everyone
on Earth). The Genesis on Heavens Above is another satellite

"Jonathan Silverlight" wrote:

DA writes:

Considering it's inflatable and has solar panels, is it large enough (15'
length, 12' diameter) to be seen with naked eye?

I would think so, though I don't know what colour it is. Might be made of
dark material ;-)
Have the orbital elements been posted yet? The only thing I've found is
the inclination (64 degrees, so it should be visible to almost everyone on
Earth). The Genesis on Heavens Above is another satellite

It's identified as Genesis-1 (06029A; #29252).

Spacetrack.org gives these elements:

GENESIS-1
1 29252U 06029A 06194.01083486 .00001167 00000-0 10000-3 0 32
2 29252 064.5104 176.3995 0004154 166.4458 193.6729 15.02704053 60
OBJECT B
1 29253U 06029B 06194.00969886 -.00101954 00000-0 -68242-2 0 47
2 29253 064.5097 176.3958 0017053 288.3064 071.6101 15.07071228 65

--Bill Thompson

This webpage has a tracker for Genesis-1:
http://satellite.ehabich.info/genesis.html

The TLE's used are from spacetrack.org
Erich Habich

"William R Thompson" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news
"Jonathan Silverlight" wrote:

DA writes:

Considering it's inflatable and has solar panels, is it large enough (15'
length, 12' diameter) to be seen with naked eye?

I would think so, though I don't know what colour it is. Might be made of
dark material ;-)
Have the orbital elements been posted yet? The only thing I've found is
the inclination (64 degrees, so it should be visible to almost everyone
on Earth). The Genesis on Heavens Above is another satellite

It's identified as Genesis-1 (06029A; #29252).

Spacetrack.org gives these elements:

GENESIS-1
1 29252U 06029A 06194.01083486 .00001167 00000-0 10000-3 0 32
2 29252 064.5104 176.3995 0004154 166.4458 193.6729 15.02704053 60
OBJECT B
1 29253U 06029B 06194.00969886 -.00101954 00000-0 -68242-2 0 47
2 29253 064.5097 176.3958 0017053 288.3064 071.6101 15.07071228 65

--Bill Thompson

In message , Erich Habich
writes

"William R Thompson" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news
"Jonathan Silverlight" wrote:

DA writes:

Considering it's inflatable and has solar panels, is it large enough (15'
length, 12' diameter) to be seen with naked eye?

I would think so, though I don't know what colour it is. Might be made of
dark material ;-)
Have the orbital elements been posted yet? The only thing I've found is
the inclination (64 degrees, so it should be visible to almost everyone
on Earth). The Genesis on Heavens Above is another satellite

It's identified as Genesis-1 (06029A; #29252).

Spacetrack.org gives these elements:

GENESIS-1
1 29252U 06029A 06194.01083486 .00001167 00000-0 10000-3 0 32
2 29252 064.5104 176.3995 0004154 166.4458 193.6729 15.02704053 60
OBJECT B
1 29253U 06029B 06194.00969886 -.00101954 00000-0 -68242-2 0 47
2 29253 064.5097 176.3958 0017053 288.3064 071.6101 15.07071228 65

--Bill Thompson
This webpage has a tracker for Genesis-1:
http://satellite.ehabich.info/genesis.html

The TLE's used are from spacetrack.org
Erich Habich

Thanks to you both! I just missed an unfavourable pass but there are a
lot more coming up.