Coriolis Obs

From: Michael McCants (mmccants@jump.net)
Date: Tue Jan 21 2003 - 13:44:22 EST

  • Next message: Alan Pickup: "Decay watch: 2003 January 21 (Starshine 3)"

    Last night we had a pass of Coriolis low in the west.  (Alt 22 Azi 267
    Range 1100 miles.)  In spite of the poor phase angle, it was seen
    flashing to about magnitude 5.5 or 6 every 1.8 seconds with a minimum
    magnitude of only about 7.5.  Because it's sun-sync at dawn/dusk,
    wintertime is the only chance to see it.  I would like someone else
    to report on it.
    
    Coriolis
    1 27640U 03001A   03021.04321354 -.00000524  00000-0 -23454-3 0   413
    2 27640  98.7346  29.7680 0013531 289.0138  70.9117 14.18005772  2107
    
    The MetSat PSLV rocket was seem flashing from magnitude 9.5 to 11
    with a period near 1.0 seconds (or perhaps 2.0 seconds) at a range
    of 5500 miles.  It was difficult to measure and perhaps it is
    in some unusual tumbling mode after its fuel dump.  So it may change
    period over the next few weeks.  It has a low perigee, so that
    could also cause its flash period to change.
    
    MetSat PSLV Rk
    1 27526U 02043B   03020.31130185  .00048697  13981-5  20311-2 0   955
    2 27526  18.0183  43.2174 7192877 280.5280  12.1931  2.43141275  3113
    
    The Atlantic Bird 3 SYLDA (27463, 2002-35D) had an unusually large
    magnitude variation (mag 7 to invisible (about 11)) with a period
    of about 60 seconds at a range of 5000 miles.
    
    TiPS was pretty as it made a near-zenith pass.  Ed could see it in
    his 10x50 binoculars, but the 8-inch gave a really good view.
    
    Mike McCants
    Austin, TX
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    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 : Tue Jan 21 2003 - 14:21:23 EST