Easily seen satellites
Edward S Light (light@argos.argoscomp.com)
Fri, 10 Jan 1997 08:54:02 -0500
On Friday, 1997 Jan 10, Jim Holland wrote ...
> From: Jim Holland <galaxyjh@worldnet.att.net>
> Subject: Low orbit birds
> Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 04:05:29 +0000
>
> What other low orbit objects are good to see other than Mir and HST? I live
> in the Northeast US and I am looking for any sats that will display a bright
> magnitude. I have spotted Mir only once a few years back. Also... In looking
< ... stuff deleted ... >
Well, Jim, my wife and I also live in the NE US (40.107N, 074.232W) and in
a fairly light-polluted neighborhood (we can rarely see stars fainter than
the 4th magnitude without optical aid), and in the past two years, we've
seen over 250 different satellites with our naked eyes. Of these, about
140 objects were seen having apparent magnitudes less than about 3.0
(EXCLUDING obvious specular flashes); they are listed in a postscript to
this note.
HOWEVER ... much more useful than any list of mine is Jay Respler's
"visual.tle" which is updated frequently and contains current elements
for over 130 satellites; it is available, e.g., from T.S.Kelso's site
among others.
Clear (and dark) skies!
Ed Light
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PS: The 140 objects we've seen to reach 3rd magnitude or brighter ...
NORAD COSPAR "Common" Name
----- ------- -----------------------
03019 67-104B Cosmos 185 SL-11 R/B
03598 68-110B OAO 2 Atlas Centaur R/B
04071 69-070B Cosmos 292 SL-8 R/B
04392 70-034B MAO 1 CZ-1 R/B
04393 70-037A Meteor 1-4
04394 70-037B Meteor 1-4 SL-3 R/B
04584 70-085B Meteor 1-6 SL-3 R/B
04813 70-113A Cosmos 389
04814 70-113B Cosmos 389 SL-3 R/B
04850 71-003B Meteor 1-7 SL-3 R/B
05117 71-028A Cosmos 405
05143 71-031B Meteor 1-8 SL-3 R/B
05282 71-052B Cosmos 426 SL-8 R/B
05328 71-059B Meteor 1-9 SL-3 R/B
05853 72-011B Cosmos 476 SL-3 R/B
05918 72-022B Meteor 1-11 SL-3 R/B
06155 72-065B OAO 3 Atlas Centaur R/B
07004 73-107B AUEROLE 2 SL-8 R/B
07025 73-086R Delta 1 debris
07418 74-066B Cosmos 673 SL-3 R/B
07969 75-056B Cosmos 744 SL-3 R/B
08128 75-076B Cosmos 756 SL-3 R/B
08755 76-024B Cosmos 808 SL-3 R/B
09854 77-015B Cosmos 895 SL-3 R/B
10114 77-057B Meteor 1-28 SL-3 R/B
10135 77-061B Cosmos 925 SL-3 R/B
10363 77-091B Cosmos 955 SL-3 R/B
10861 78-045B Cosmos 1005 SL-3 R/B
10967 78-064A SEASAT 1
10973 78-067A Cosmos 1025
11056 78-094B Cosmos 1043 SL-3 R/B
11155 78-117A Cosmos 1063
11156 78-117B Cosmos 1063 SL-3 R/B
11251 79-005A Meteor 1-29
11266 79-011A Cosmos 1076
11285 79-020A InterCosmos 19
11286 79-020B InterCosmos 19 SL-8 R/B
11332 79-032B Cosmos 1093 SL-3 R/B
11458 79-067B Cosmos 1116 SL-3 R/B
11511 79-078B Cosmos 1125 SL-8 R/B
11601 79-093B Cosmos 1143 SL-3 R/B
11629 79-099A Cosmos 1145
11630 79-099B Cosmos 1145 SL-3 R/B
11683 80-008B Cosmos 1154 SL-3 R/B
11933 80-069B Cosmos 1206 SL-3 R/B
12054 80-089A Cosmos 1220
12072 80-093B Cosmos 1222 SL-3 R/B
12155 81-008B Cosmos 1242 SL-3 R/B
12389 81-033B Cosmos 1263 SL-8 R/B
12465 81-046B Cosmos 1271 SL-3 R/B
12903 81-103A Cosmos 1315
12988 81-117B Cosmos 1328 SL-14 R/B
13121 82-027B Cosmos 1346 SL-3 R/B
13271 82-059A Cosmos 1378
13771 83-003B Cosmos 1437 SL-3 R/B
13819 83-010B Cosmos 1441 SL-3 R/B
14032 83-037A Cosmos 1455
14064 83-044A Cosmos 1461
14208 83-075B Cosmos 1484 SL-3 R/B
14484 83-111B Cosmos 1508 SL-8 R/B
14700 84-013B Cosmos 1536 SL-14 R/B
14780 84-021A Landsat 5
15592 85-020A Cosmos 1633
15755 85-042A Cosmos 1656
15889 85-058A Cosmos 1666
16111 85-090B Cosmos 1689 SL-3 R/B
16182 85-097B Cosmos 1697 SL-16 R/B
16262 85-108A Cosmos 1703
16263 85-108B Cosmos 1703 SL-14 R/B
16609 86-017A Mir Complex
16612 86-018B Cosmos 1733 SL-14 R/B
16882 86-055B Cosmos 1766 SL-14 R/B
17131 86-019AA Ariane 1 debris
17241 86-101A Cosmos 1809
17566 87-024A Cosmos 1825
17590 87-027B Cosmos 1833 SL-16 R/B
17911 87-038A Cosmos 1842
17974 87-041B Cosmos 1844 SL-16 R/B
18422 87-088B Cosmos 1892 SL-14 R/B
18958 88-020A Cosmos 1933
18959 88-020B Cosmos 1933 SL-14 R/B
19045 88-032A Cosmos 1939
19120 88-039B Cosmos 1943 SL-16 R/B
19210 88-050A Cosmos 1953
19257 88-053B Cosmos 1954 SL-8 R/B
19275 88-056B Okean 1 SL-14 R/B
19531 88-089A NOAA 11
19574 88-093B Cosmos 1975 SL-14 R/B
19625 88-099A KH 11-8 USA 33
19649 88-102A Cosmos 1980
19650 88-102B Cosmos 1980 SL-16 R/B
19671 88-106B LACROSSE 1 USA 34
20150 89-059B Cosmos 2034 SL-8 R/B
20389 89-100A Cosmos 2053
20390 89-100B Cosmos 2053 SL-14 R/B
20465 90-010A Cosmos 2058
20466 90-010B Cosmos 2058 SL-14 R/B
20510 90-018A Okean 2
20663 90-055A Cosmos 2084
20775 90-078B Cosmos 2098 SL-8 R/B
20967 90-104B Cosmos 2106 SL-14 R/B
21147 91-017A LACROSSE 2 USA 69
21148 91-017B LACROSSE 2 Titan 4 R/B
21422 91-042A Cosmos 2151
21610 91-050F ERS-1 Ariane 40 R/B
21701 91-063B UARS
22076 92-052A TOPEX/POSEIDON
22220 92-076B Cosmos 2219 SL-16 R/B
22236 92-080A Cosmos 2221
22285 92-093B Cosmos 2227 SL-16 R/B
22286 92-094A Cosmos 2228
22566 93-016B Cosmos 2237 SL-16 R/B
22583 93-017C GPS 2-19 Delta 2 R/B(1)
22626 93-024A Cosmos 2242
22803 93-059B Cosmos 2263 RK SL-16 R/B
22808 93-060A Cosmos 2264
23019 94-014A Koronas 1
23088 94-023B Cosmos 2278 SL-16 R/B
23191 94-046A Apex
23343 94-074B Resurs O1-3 R/B
23405 94-077B Cosmos 2297 R/B
23502 95-008B Cosmos 2306 SL-8 R/B
23545 95-017A Orbcomm FM1
23560 95-021A ERS 2
23561 95-021B ERS 2 Ariane 4 R/B
23596 95-028A Cosmos 2313
23600 95-030A STS 71 (Atlantis-14)
23677 95-052B Cosmos 2321 R/B
23688 95-056A STS 73 (Columbia-18)
23705 95-058B Cosmos 2322 Zenit R/B
23714 95-061A STS 74 (Atlantis-15)
23748 95-071A Cosmos 2326 EORSAT
23834 96-019B GPS 2-25 r1
23849 96-023B Priroda R/B
23854 96-025B Cosmos 2332 R/B
23863 96-029B 96029A R/B
23931 96-036A STS 78 (Columbia-20)
24071 96-043A Progress M-32
24294 96-050D
24308 96-053B Inmarsat 3F2 R/B