Re: 99099A is not missing

Ralph McConahy (rmcconahy@earthlink.net)
Mon, 21 Jun 1999 00:01:19 -0700

Using the TLE:

Unknown 99099   15.0  4.0  0.0  3.4 v   20
1 99099U 99099  A 99167.90066188  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    05
2 99099  63.4395  65.9713 0234713 291.3036  67.5185  9.69752369    01

I observed 99099A pass between Ursa Major Nu & Xi at 062927 UT (21 Jun),
then between two dimmer stars in Virgo (don't know their names) at 063852.
Using WWV and SkyMap, both these reference points were exactly as predicted
(+/- 0.5 sec). The magnitude seemed to be unsteady, occasionally becoming
invisible (although it passed only about 12-15 degrees below the Moon which
could have caused some false variance). When it split the two stars in Virgo
(one star mag 6.0 and the other mag 6.4) SkyMap predicted 99099A to be mag
6.3 and I'd say, comparing to the two stars, that 6.3 was about right.

   Ralph McConahy
   34.8829N  117.0064W  670m