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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 05 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 05 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. |
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