GFO/ORBCOMM Obs, 13 Feb 98
Ron Lee (ronlee@pcisys.net)
Fri, 13 Feb 1998 06:08:02 -0700
Set up the 8 inch telescope this morning for a nicely spaced in time,
but close in position, pass of the 98-007 objects. Timing between
them was 20-30 seconds and I only had to make a slight change in right
ascension to get to the next viewing location.
The pass, just east of Arcturus, was at 5:25 to 5:27 AM local
or 12:25 UT. References to Name and number are from the elsets below:
The first object, #25160, MAY have been fluctuating but I am uncertain
of that.
Second was #25159, an ORBCOMM. I mad a mental note that it WAS fluctating.
Seems odd but that was my obs.
Third was #25158, another ORBCOMM. This was different in that it was much
brighter than all the other objects...possibly 5th magnitude while the others
were 7-8.
The fourth and fifth objects, #25161, and #25157 (GFO), were steady and
faint but easy to see.
Ron Lee
GFO 877 x 781 km
1 25157U 98007A 98043.22204666 .00001658 00000-0 83749-3 0 92
2 25157 107.9867 30.8304 0066621 185.7156 174.3213 14.18883248 246
Orbcomm FM3 875 x 782 km
1 25158U 98007B 98043.85617129 .00000559 00000-0 32121-3 0 80
2 25158 107.9924 32.1066 0064901 184.8463 175.2089 14.19126064 328
Orbcomm FM4 875 x 781 km
1 25159U 98007C 98043.22160925 .00006853 00000-0 32505-2 0 87
2 25159 107.9863 30.8344 0064580 185.3871 174.6549 14.19263287 230
Celestis+Taurus r ? 873 x 782 km
1 25160U 98007D 98043.78514440 -.00001647 00000-0 -70534-3 0 77
2 25160 107.9871 31.9634 0063409 184.9644 175.0865 14.19466842 314
Orbcomm deb ? 876 x 782 km
1 25161U 98007E 98043.15140120 -.00004305 00000-0 -19560-2 0 142
2 25161 107.9875 30.6911 0065373 185.5930 174.4516 14.19006958 224