I have my doubts about 1987-027B as the best candidate. This Zenit rocket did not vary in brightness as fast as indicated. Unfortunately there are no observations reported at or around that date so I cannot be for 100 percent sure. My closest observation was of August 8, 2000 and show a steady object as many observations before and after. If it was flashing as fast as twice or three times a second I should expect a remainder of this as a slowed down flashing four months later and this was not found. -----Original Message----- From: Stephen Fels <stephen@fels.cc> To: SeeSat <SeeSat-L@satobs.org> Date: zaterdag 5 januari 2002 20:12 Subject: Re: Sat ID request >> Could anyone help me id this please? > >It would appear Cosmos 1833 Rocket COSPAR 17590 1987-027B a Russian Zenit 2 >upper stage is your best candidate. > >> April 26, 2000 >> 03:10 UT >> My location: >> 42 4' 19" N >> 80 8' 34" W >> 733' ASL >> While waiting for an ISS pass (one of my first) I saw a rapidly flashing >> (2-3 per second) bright (-3ish) object travel almost the same path as the >> ISS about one minute prior to the ISS. >> These were the heavens-above details from that ISS pass for me (GMT-5): >> Start 22:10:55 10deg NW >> Peak 22:13:14 22deg NNE >> End 22:13:17 22deg NNE > >I've repeated the ISS output from Satellite Hunting, in order to add the >numeric Azimuth values... >ISS >Local Time Elev. Azimuth Mag >10:10:50 PM 10° 326° [NW] 2.3 >10:13:13 PM 22° 021° [N] 1.3 >10:13:19 PM 22° 024° [N] 1.3 > >Cosmos 1833r >Local Time Elev. Azimuth Mag >10:09:32 PM 10° 342° [N] 5.4 >10:15:10 PM 62° 064° [E] 3.3 >10:16:57 PM 41° 124° [SE] 3.8 > >> Obvious to me now is this was ISS debris or shuttle debris, but could >> someone help me id this. And if so please tell me how to do it. > >I went to FTP directory /pub/space/elements/molczan/cs-2000/ at >kilroy.jpl.nasa.gov and searched for the nearest TLE after your observation. >Then, I loaded cs000427.Z (an April 27, 2000 TLE set) into Satellite >Hunting, entered your coordinates and time and ran a set of predictions. >Cosmos 1833r was in the right part of the sky at the right time, so I >clicked on the COSPAR number, which told me it was a Zenit 2 and a bright >variable flasher. Then I compared its path with ISS in the Plot Path/Stars >screen. Facing North, the Cosmos would have appeared to move somewhat higher >in the sky (they were on diverging paths), toward Ursa Minor. However, as >you started watching ISS, the Cosmos rocket would have appeared almost >parallel, moving ahead of ISS, through Cassiopeia. At the point ISS went >into shadow, they would have been separated by about 20 degrees, as the ISS >would have been moving on more of a left-to-right path. >-- >Stephen >Home Page: stephmon.com >Satellite Hunting: sathunt.com > >----------------------------------------------------------------- >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 > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Jan 06 2002 - 19:10:15 EST