Obs 980422
VideoCosmos (icosmos@dol.ru)
Thu, 23 Apr 1998 11:45:31 +0400 (MSD)
Hi everybody,
Here's a couple of obs in Moscow last evening April 22, with 8x30
binoculars.
USA 129 passed very near to Eta Vir (12h 19.9m, -00deg 40min, 2000.0)
at 18:07:15 UTC +/- 2 sec. It then passed E of Epsilon UMa (12h 54.0m,
+55deg 58min) at 18:08:20 +/- 1 sec. Both passes were 6 seconds early
against the elset:
USA 129
1 24680U 96072 A 98108.90064540 .00024829 00000-0 26098-3 0 04
2 24680 97.8321 169.6079 0501810 30.9717 332.0397 14.82942565 05
USA 86 passed near Arcturus (14h 15.7m, +19deg 11min) at 18:31:14 UTC
while the prediction based on the folowing elset was 18:32:14. In theory,
I could err by 1 min but I believe my record was correct.
USA 86 15.0 3.0 0.0 5.1 v 1010 x 409
1 22251U 92 83 A 97265.84784039 .00001180 00000-0 78400-4 0 02
2 22251 97.7722 349.4000 0423996 241.2649 118.7349 14.54976309 00
USA 86 was bright enough to be seen naked eye in Moscow light
pollution, especially low in the S at 18:30.
There were three predicted events in the NE at around 18:34 UTC making
obs difficult. Apart from USA 86, Lacrosse 2 was to go NW->E (not seen,
but in strong pollution and unfavorable Sun angle) and -3m Iridium 7 flare
(seen at 18:34:05, quite spectacular).
Igor Lissov
55.635N, 37.474E, 250 m