Re: Decay watch: 2000 May 13

From: tlj18@juno.com
Date: Fri May 26 2000 - 23:24:35 PDT

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    > > How small can a satellite be and be observed with binoculars 
    > during
    > > burnup in the Earth's atmosphere?
    > >
    > Regardless of size, it would be very difficult to acquire a decaying 
    > object
    > in binoculars.
    > You don't know the current height, and even a zenithal pass is 
    > strongly
    > affected by the uncertainty in pass time * Earth rotation (up to 27 
    > km/min)
    > / the low height.
    > Perhaps close to the horizon.
    
    Yes, I know.  But my interest was in finding out if it was known if a
    satellite, the size of a fist or smaller, could decay and be brighter
    than 8th magnitude or so.
    
    Does anyone know how many satellites have been observed less than five or
    ten minutes before they disintregrated in the Earth's atmosphere?
    
    Jonathan Wojack; tlj18@juno.com
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