JUst ran Skymap trace on Superbird a (#20040) for these coordinates and time. Jupiter was at RA 18:38, DEC -23:22. Hale-Bopp at RA 17:30, DEC -05:12. Superbird A at 2030 PDT, 26 Sep 96 at RA 17:30, DEC -7.35. Seems Kevin found this object as well. Must have been a beautiful sight in dark skies. Ron Lee >A note posted on the Compuserve Astroforum , noted at about 0800UT SEpt 29 >Subj: SPACE LASERS Section: General > To: ALL Sunday, September 29, 1996 10:06:04 AM >From: KEVIN C. MUNLEY, 72572,23 #290635 A FEW MINUTES LATER, THREE OF US SCANNING AGAIN FOR >HALE-BOPP, SPOTTED A FLASHING LIGHT WITH A REPETITION OF ABOUT >10-12 SECONDS. IT WAS LOCATED ABOUT ONE FIST LEFT OF HALE-BOPP >TOWARDS >JUPITER (BEST SWAG), BUT IN THE SAME PIECE OF SKY AS THE LASER. IT >WAS NOT AN AIRCRAFT TYPE STROBE; TOO LONG A PERIOD. IT DID SEEM >TO BE AT A GREAT, BUT UNDETERMINED DISTANCE (NOT ATMOSPHERIC, I >BELIEVE). I DO RECALL SEEING SOMETHING SIMILAR LAST WINTER FLYING >THE RED-EYE FROM LAX-JFK AT 39000FT, GIVE OR TAKE A COUPLE OF >INCHES, SO IT PROBABLY WASN'T AN AIRBREATHER ABOVE US. (I'M AN >AIRLINE PILOT, BUT I KNOW YOU WON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST ME). WHILE >DOING SOME STARGAZING, I AND ANOTHER CREWMEMBER SAW THIS SAME >INTENSITY LIGHT WITH THE NAKED EYE IN THE VICINITY OF ANDROMEDA. >WHEN I SAW IT (TWICE), I THOUGHT I WAS ABOUT TO BE A WITNESS TO >SOME RARE COSMIC EVENT LIKE A SUPERNOVA. I HAD THE SAME >THOUGHT THIS TIME, BUT NO SUCH LUCK ON BOTH. > SO, GOT ANY IDEAS? WELL, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, SINCE I'M NOT >QUITE UP ON MY ORBITAL SCIENCES. IS LASER TECHNOLOGY USED IN >SATELLITE COMMUNICATION? CAN ONE SEE HIGH INTENSITY LASERS IN >CLEAR AIR (I THOUGHT NOT)? POSSIBLE ASAT (ANTI-SATELLITE) TESTS? >SURE, I'LL BUY THAT. ALTHOUGH UNCLE SAM DIDN'T SEEM TOO >CONCERNED THAT ANYONE WAS WATCHING, BUT WHAT ELSE IS NEW? IS >THERE A SATELLITE THAT WOULD HAVE SOME HIGH INTENSITY STROBE >VISIBLE FROM EARTH (OR EVEN FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)? A FLASH >FROM A SOLAR COLLECTOR MAYBE? ARE THERE ANY OTHER THEORIES >THAT WOULD EXPLAIN A REPETITIVE FLASHING IN THE VISIBLE LIGHT >BAND? >OBSERVER LOCATION: MT. LAGUNA, CALIFORNIA USA >LAT/LONG: N32 53.0/W116 25.5 ELEVATION: 6000FT >DATE/TIME: 26SEP96/2030LOCAL (0430GMT) >SKY: SEVERE CLEAR > > THANKS.....KEVIN > > >