bart@satellite.eu.org (Bart De Pontieu) writes: > Date: Sat Feb 21 09:15:45 1998 > A rocket body can be tumbling end-over-end and look steady on one > particular pass. This will happen if you're looking along the rotation > axis. The next pass your viewing angle will be different and it will flash > again. Zenit rocket bodies were famous for this behaviour, one could see > it happening during one pass. A traditional observing behavior, one facilitated by many tracking programs, is to acquire an object near culmination, i.e., near its highest altitude on a particular pass, and follow it for a while or until it disappears. Consistent use of this method deprives the observer of the full experience of satellite observing. An alternative is to estimate approximately when and where one will be able to acquire the object and then follow it thru culmination and beyond. This is more difficult and can be more frustrating and nerve-wracking, but it also can show you a good bit more. Rocket bodies, the NOSS 2-n triads, large objects like Mir, STS, TiPS, Lacrosses, HST, GRO, SeaSat, notorious flashers like the Tselinas, NOAAs, Tiros N, Topex, SROSS-C2, DMSPs (especially F7 = 23233), USA 32, USA 81, Iridium nn, Meteors, are appropriate objects for whole pass observation. A few of the brightest and most appropriate are listed below. One can record 2 different personal bests. One would be the lowest altitude to which it is possible to follow an object. A second would be the lowest altitude at which it is possible to acquire an object. Cheers. Walter Nissen dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu -81.8637, 41.3735, 256m elevation --- Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, the days of the Saturday Night Massacre, when Richard Nixon wanted to play "You Bet Your Republic!" with our Republic. NOT! Please support strengthening the Independent Counsel Statute when it expires next year, not gutting it. --- suggestive magnitudes (informal) Vulgar name Cat # COSPAR ID maximum maximum glint Atlas Centaur 2 00694 63- 47A 3 *2 CoBE 20322 89- 89A 5 Cosmos 1220 12054 80- 89A 0 1515 14551 83-122A 4 *1 1536 14699 84- 13A 5 or 6 *4 or 3 1602 15331 84-105A 3 or 2 *1 1606 15369 84-111A 5 *2 or 3 1626 15494 85- 9A 3.5 *2 1633 15592 85- 20A 3 or 4 *2 1666 15889 85- 58A 4 or 5 1703 16262 85-108A *0 1726 16495 86- 6A 4 *3 1758 16791 86- 46A 5 or 6 1812 17295 87- 3A 6 *3 1842 17911 87- 38A 4 or 5 *0 1892 18421 87- 88A 3 or 2 *1 1908 18748 88- 1A 4 or 5 *3 or 4 1933 18958 88- 20A 2 *1 1953 19210 88- 50A 2 *-2 1975 19573 88- 93A 2 *0 1980 19649 88-102A *0 1992 r 19770 89- 5B 4 or 5 *3 or 4 2058 20465 90- 10A 4 *0 2151 21422 91- 42A 1 or 2 *0 2221 22236 92- 80A 2 2228 22286 92- 94A 4 2242 22626 93- 24A 1 or 2 *0 DMSP B5D1-3 10820 78- 42A 0 *-2 DMSP B5D2-2 14506 83-113A 4.7 DMSP B5D2-5 20978 90-105A 3 or 4 DMSP B5D2-7 23233 94- 57A 3 or 4 *0 ELINT (KH 9-17) 13172 82- 41C *3.5 Freja 22161 92- 64A 6 or 7 *6 GRO 21225 91- 27B 4 (reported much brighter from low latitudes) Helios 1A r 23608 95- 33D 2 or 3 *0 HST 20580 90- 37B 2 *-1 or -2 Lacrosse 1 19671 88-106B 0 *0 Lacrosse 2 21147 91- 17A 1 *0 Lacrosse 2 r 21148 91- 17B *1 Lacrosse 3 25017 97- 64A Lageos 2 r 22196 92- 70D 3 *-1 M* 1- 4 04393 70- 37A 4 *1 M* 1-17 07274 74- 25A *1 Microlab 1 23547 95- 17C 5 *0 Mir 16609 86- 17A -1 *-3 Nadezhda 3 r 21153 91- 19B 4 *2 NOAA 7 12553 81- 59A 0 or 1 *-1 or 0 NOAA 8 13923 83- 22A *2 NOAA 12 21263 91- 32A 4 *0 or 1 NOAA 13 22739 93- 50A *-1 NOSS 2-1 B 20682 90- 50B 4 NOSS 2-1 C 20691 90- 50C 3 NOSS 2-1 D 20692 90- 50D 3 NOSS 2-2 C 21799 91- 76C 4 NOSS 2-2 D 21808 91- 76D 4 NOSS 2-2 E 21809 91- 76E 4 NOSS 2-3 C 23908 96- 29C 4 or 5 NOSS 2-3 D 23862 96- 29D 4 or 5 NOSS 2-3 E 23936 96- 29E 4 or 5 NOSS 2-3 r 23907 96- 29B 0 SeaSat 1 10967 78- 64A 2 *0 SROSS-C2 23099 94- 27A -1 or -2 *-2 TiPS 23937 96- 29F&G Tiros N 11060 78- 96A 4 or 5 *2 Topex 22076 92- 52A *3 UARS 21701 91- 63B 1 *-1 (reported as bright as -5) UME 1 08709 76- 19A 4 USA 32 19460 88- 78A 3 *1 or 2 USA 81 21949 92- 23A 3 *2 See Mike McCants' QuickSat catalog for more definitive magnitudes.