Observations: Superbird A and others
Robert Sheaffer (sheaffer@netcom.com)
Fri, 4 Apr 1997 08:09:41 -0800
Observations made Thursday Evening, April 3 (UT 4 April 1994)
#20040 Superbird A. Now about 7 degrees east of Orion's belt,
it's "show" occurs from approximately 03:31 to 03:37 UT.
Brilliant flashes were recorded at the following times:
03:31:11 03:31:37 03:31:48 03:32:00 03:32:12
03:32:23 03:32:35 03:32:46 03:32:58 03:33:10
03:33:22 03:33:33 03:33:45 03:33:57 03:34:08
03:34:20 03:34:32 03:34:43 03:34:55 03:35:07
03:35:18 03:35:30 03:35:42 03:35:54 03:36:05
03:36:17 03:36:28 03:36:40 03:36:53 03:37:04
I may not have captured the very beginning and end
of the sequence.
#22878 GPS 2-23 Rocket. Culmination 03:54:56. Magnitude approx 3.5
(4.1 computed by Quicksat from magnitude in Molczan's
element set).
# 4850 Meteor 1-7 rocket. Culmination 04:05:10. Running approx.
15 seconds faster than predicted by current element set.
Magnitude 3.5.
#16609 Mir complex. Shadow entry (invisible to naked eye) at
04:14:28. This is more than a minute later than predicted
than Quicksat, and at approx 30 degrees higher elevation
than predicted (i.e. disappeared at approx 60 deg elevation
rather than 33. Visible in binoculars for about 15 secs
after invisibility to naked eye. No "fellow travelling"
objects seen.
Looked for with both naked eye and binoculars, but not seen: #23549
(Ofeq 3, mag 3.9 predicted), #14148 (Cosmos 1470 rocket, mag 4.3
predicted).
Robert Sheaffer - robert@debunker.com - Skeptical to the Max!
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