Superbird A for Europe
Matson, Robert (ROBERT.D.MATSON@cpmx.saic.com)
Thu, 21 Jan 1999 16:31:25 -0800
For our European observers,
Now's the perfect time to hunt for Superbird A (#20040) -- elements
listed below. For early Saturday morning, January 23rd, my model
predicts the following times/locations of peak flashes:
2:58 UT Portugal
2:59 Spain
3:00 Spain
3:04 Ireland, France
3:05 England, Switzerland
3:06 Scotland, Belgium, western Germany, Italy
3:07 Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Venice
3:08 Northern Germany, western Poland, Austria
3:09 Denmark, Poland
3:10 Southern Norway
3:11 Southern Norway, southern Sweden
3:12 S. Norway, s. Sweden
3:13-3:15 Norway, Sweden
minutes through binoculars, centered on the appropriate
time. This satellite's primary flashes have not been reported
on since November of last year, so the times could be off
by as much as 15 minutes. As usual, as soon as someone
observes it, I can update my model parameters to get the
prediction accuracy down to a minute or two.
If you are unable to observe it early Saturday morning, the
same approximate times apply on Sunday morning. (The
shift is no more than 100 seconds later per night.)
The flashes are near mu-Virginis, which is about 15 degrees
to the left of Mars in the southeast sky. Good luck! --Rob
Superbird A 2.4 2.6 2.2 6.2 d
1 20040U 89041A 99018.67118427 .00000114 00000-0 10000-3 0 712
2 20040 6.2319 55.9914 0006485 131.9729 228.1222 0.99742267 34605