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Satellite Tracking Question
Whilst staying in France and watching the stars I happened to watch three
satellites running parallel with each other in an equilateral triangle formation. The location was around 4E 47 N, time around 22:45 UT. on 29th August 2003. They were travelling in a southerly direction and disappeared when almost directly overhead. Anyone got any ideas what it might have been. Two bright and the third which was following was less bright. MalcolmX |
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Malcolm Hayes wrote:
Whilst staying in France and watching the stars I happened to watch three satellites running parallel with each other in an equilateral triangle formation. The location was around 4E 47 N, time around 22:45 UT. on 29th August 2003. They were travelling in a southerly direction and disappeared when almost directly overhead. Anyone got any ideas what it might have been. Two bright and the third which was following was less bright. I'm not sure about your specific sighting, but I've seen postings here before referring to secret military satellites that fly in threes, in polar orbits; they're known as NOSS "Naval Ocean Surveillance Satellites". Try entering your location at the Heavens Above website, http://www.heavens-above.com/, and search for "NOSS%" to get predictions of their passes -- look for low magnitude numbers, as many of these objects are usually too faint to see with the naked eye. Members of the NOSS 1 and 2 series seem to be the brightest. Or you can just go to the all-satellites daily-predictions page and work back to the date in question. -- Odysseus |
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Malcolm Hayes wrote:
Whilst staying in France and watching the stars I happened to watch three satellites running parallel with each other in an equilateral triangle formation. The location was around 4E 47 N, time around 22:45 UT. on 29th August 2003. They were travelling in a southerly direction and disappeared when almost directly overhead. Anyone got any ideas what it might have been. Two bright and the third which was following was less bright. I'm not sure about your specific sighting, but I've seen postings here before referring to secret military satellites that fly in threes, in polar orbits; they're known as NOSS "Naval Ocean Surveillance Satellites". Try entering your location at the Heavens Above website, http://www.heavens-above.com/, and search for "NOSS%" to get predictions of their passes -- look for low magnitude numbers, as many of these objects are usually too faint to see with the naked eye. Members of the NOSS 1 and 2 series seem to be the brightest. Or you can just go to the all-satellites daily-predictions page and work back to the date in question. -- Odysseus |
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