----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul J Henney" <ph014a5309@blueyonder.co.uk> To: "SeeSat" <SeeSat-L@satobs.org> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 2:14 PM Subject: EGP > Passing just below the square of Pegasus I found this very distinctive flasher. A series of bright ?mag 4-5 flashes separated by 2-3 seconds (a guess) followed by what I call "stuttering" flashes .. a 4-5 second series of continuous mag 5-6 flashes then with the first cycle repeating. > A nice object and thanks for the heads up Ed! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: A agree! Neat! I'm just now thawing out after going out to see Ajisai (EGP). This is the first time I've seen it, or have even heard about it. It has been up there since 1986. :~o I checked HA and determined I had only minutes to get out of town to get to a moderately dark location. Freezing half to death, waiting for my watch alarm to go off to let me know when to look near a certain star in Cygnus, I laid down right in front of my car in an attempt to block the wind and to steady my arms. Then, just as I spotted it, wouldn't you know it....a car comes over the hill. I really didn't want to hear, "Are you OK", so I got up but managed to find it again. :~) It flashed in a 123 123 123 pattern most of the time but did a 123-45 123-45 also. I'd guess that the magnitude of the flashes were about a mag of +6; maybe even a +5. I could not see them w/o my 7 x 35 binocs. I watched it across half the sky before I called it quits. I looked down once it passed the Andromeda galaxy. I never noticed any overall change in the pattern or brightness of the flashes. .................................. Some interesting info: It features 1436 (120 sets) Corner-cube Reflectors and 318 Sunlight Reflection Mirrors Ajisai Means "hydrangea", also called EGP Mission: accurate measurement of the satellite's position with respect to Earth; readjustment of domestic triangulation net for accurate map-making; establishment of ocean geodetic net to position outlying islands. ................................... I put a shortcut to this satellite's HA predictions on my desktop. I am wondering it hasn't been mentioned a lot before, or has it? Thanks Ed! Tom Iowa USA ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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