Re: Your report on Celestis Object sighting

AELIA@Orbital.COM
Fri, 09 May 97 09:43:48 est

     I was recently forwarded your message:
     
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     Subject: Celestis sighting
     Author:  SeeSat-L@cds.plasma.mpe-garching.mpg.de at #internet Date:    
     5/7/97 22:25
     
     
     Celestis was visible in 7x50 binoculars on 6 May and 7 May from south 
     Florida. Appeared very soon after emergence from shadow, magnitude est 
     6.5-7.0, steady, fast moving.
     
     J. Maier
     
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     I just wanted to make a clarification:  the object you are sighting is 
     the spent third stage of the Pegasus flight 15 (MINISAT-01 mission).  
     Made up of the third stage motor and the avionics section, it is 
     approximately 38 inches in diameter and 50 inches long, so it should 
     be revolving around a transverse (minor) axis.  The body is mainly 
     graphite epoxite composite with a medium reflectivity and some 
     metallic elements as well as some high-emmissivity thermal blankets 
     covering perhaps 10% of the average observable surface.  Attached to 
     this body is the Celestis canister, approximately 6" in diameter and 
     10" long.  Apparently NORAD (or maybe just good Dr. Kelso) is 
     denominating the object "CELESTIS".  However, from an observability 
     standpoint, object 24780/97018B should be no different from, say, 
     object 23941/96037B (Pegasus third stage from the TOMS launch).  I 
     must admit, however, that there is an additional poetic significance 
     to *this* spent third stage...
     
     Antonio Elias