RE: Observations Monday Evening (Feb. 18 UT)
Phillip Clark (psclark@dircon.co.uk)
Tue, 18 Feb 1997 15:56:37 +0000 (GMT)
On Tue, 18 Feb 1997, Ted Molczan wrote:
> Robert Sheaffer wrote:
>
> >02:53:37 Appulse of unexpected satellite with Delta Hydrae (mag 4.2),
> > satellite magnitude approx same as star. Matches well with
> > predicted path of #5282, Cosmos 426 rocket. However, the
> > predicted magnitude of that satellite using the magnitude in
> > Moclzan.tle is only 5.8. Hence, it was at least 1.5 mags
> > brighter than expected.
>
> This object is one of hundreds of Tsyklon upper stages
> in orbit.
Sorry to be pedantic, but Cosmos 426 was launched by the vehicle which we
now know as the Cosmos-3M, the C-1/SL-8 using "old" designators.
Phillip Clark