RE: catching a low flying satellite + Long-range obs

From: Adam (shrimp@netbay.com.au)
Date: Wed Jul 31 2002 - 03:07:23 EDT

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    Hi everybody,
    
    I managed to see the same pass of Raduga 33 that Mr Beresford saw on
    July 30. With a closest range of about 266 km, it definitely seems fast!
    My only previous observation of it (by accident, a couple of nights
    before) was pretty subdued compared to this one, with its arrival this
    time signalled by a bright flare/flash with a few more to follow. The
    point of this is to say that when this satellite comes to your part of
    the world, take a look if you can! 
    
    The other night, July 27 0910:20 UTC, I was randomly scanning the NE sky
    with my 9x63 binoculars. I picked up a very dim, slow-moving satellite,
    which I (in my inexperience and ignorance of any nearby constellations)
    estimated to be maybe mag 7-8 or so. The only match I can find with
    alldat.tle, and FindSat + Virtual Sky (for direction) is GPS 2-17 r2
    (22277). Its range was about 7500km, H-A mag 9.9, the sky was quite
    clear (haze-wise) and not light-polluted (but not completely cold
    either). Could I have seen something this dim and distant?
    
    Last night, while trying to see it again, I accidentally spotted Topex
    (22076), which I had also previously spotted accidentally the night I
    saw GPS 2-17 r2. Hmm! It was barely detectable, apparently mag 7.5, at
    about 3500km range, following the same path GPS 2-17 r2 should have
    been.  
    
    Seeing as my first message a few months ago got no replies, I might as
    well reintroduce myself. I am 17, doing last year of high school, and
    have been observing satellites since a rocketry friend put me onto H-A
    about 3-4 years ago. I do this for fun and record most of my
    observations with a simple description in an Access database. My main
    hobby is photography and doing my own developing in the darkroom. I live
    about 25km SW of Melbourne, Australia.
    
    Thanks for reading!!
    
    Adam
    
    Hoppers Crossing, 37.8689°S, 144.6794°E
    UTC+10 (AEST)
    
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