Eclipsed satellites from Pa
ROB MATSON (ROBERT.D.MATSON@cpmx.saic.com)
24 Feb 1998 17:34:29 -0800
Hello list,
For European observers (and particularly those in or near Paris), I've =
used
the latest ALLDAT.TLE file to locate satellites that dip more than 50%
into the penumbra during the 26 February eclipse. I found 33 in all, =
using
Paris as the observing point. I've only had time to produce detailed
information about the first 20 of these, but I figure it's better than =
nothing.
For each satellite, I give the time (UTC) of peak magnitude, and the =
times
of ingress and egress for the 50% penumbra point. If the satellite =
should
reach the 90% penumbra point, I give the ingress and egress times
for that as well. Note that In some cases, the satellite is already more
than 50% eclipsed when it breaks the horizon; in others, it reaches the
horizon before 50% egress.
The last satellite on the list (so far) is quite interesting. Iridium 38 =
breaks
the horizon, already more than 50% eclipsed. About 2 minutes later, it
becomes more than 90% eclipsed and stays that way one minute. Later,
it exits the penumbra and reaches a peak of mag 5.2, before starting to
dim with increasing range. But it's not done yet -- two and half minutes
after culmination, the satellite flares to about magnitude 1.2! Quite a
complicated light curve during this pass! --Rob
Satellite Int ID Norad Events
------------- ------ ----- =
-------------------------------------------------------------------
C 422 r 71046B 05239 18:55 pk 5.6, 15:58:30 (50%, m7.0), =
18:59:45 shadow
C 1072 r 79003A 11239 18:53 pk 5.5, 18:57:05 (50%, m7.0), =
19:01:30 (50%, m8.5)
C 1771 86062A 16917 18:57:45 (50%, m7.6), 18:59:45 (50%, =
m6.8), 19:02:30 pk m5.9
Meteor 1-13 72085A 06256 18:57:50 (50%, m8.6), 19:02:25 (50%, =
m7.0), 19:05 pk m6.0
C 2123 (RS-12/13) 91007A 21089 18:58:15 (50%, m8.6), 19:02:35 (50%, =
m7.1), 19:05:30 pk m6.1
C 1538 r 84019B 14760 19:00 (50%, m8.3), 19:03:30 (50%, m6.5), =
19:06 pk m5.0
MSTI 2 94028A 23101 19:01 pk 6.2, 19:02:45 (50%, m8.3), 19:06 =
(Horiz, still 50%+)
C 2084 r 90055D 20666 18:58:30 (Horiz, 50%+), 19:02:20 (50%, =
m8.1), 19:05 pk m5.3
C 1939 88032A 19045 19:00 (Horiz, 50%+), 19:03:40 (50%, =
m6.8), 19:05 pk m6.3
Radcat P72-1 72076A 06212 18:58:30 pk 4.1, 19:01:25 (50%, m6.4), =
19:05:10 (Horiz, still 50%+)
C 1656 4th stage 85042D 15772 19:02:45 (50%, m8.0), 19:07:50 (50%, =
m5.9), 19:10 pk m5.0
Meteor 2-17 88005A 18820 19:06 pk m5.2, 19:08:45 (50%, m6.4), =
19:14:30 (50%, m8.5)
C 514 r 72062B 06149 19:03:25 (50%, m8.5), 19:07:50 (50%, =
m6.7), 19:10:30 pk m5.2
C 304 69091A 04138 19:03:30 (50%, m9.7), 19:08:05 (50%, =
m7.7), 19:11 pk m5.6
Tsikada r 95002D 23466 19:05:15 (50%, m8.6), 19:07:45 (90%, =
m9.5), 19:08 (dimmest, m9.7),
19:08:20 (90%, m9.5), 19:10:50 (50%, =
m6.8), 19:13:30 pk m5.8
C 1242 81008A 12154 19:09 pk m4.2, 19:11:20 (50%, m5.9), =
19:11:55 (shadow)
Iridium 41 97069B 25040 19:06:45 (horiz, 50%), 19:09:30 (dimmest, =
m9.7),
19:12:15 (50%, m6.8), 19:14:30 pk m5.3, =
19:17 flare m4.5!
C 2245-2250 r 93030G 22652 19:07:30 (50%, m8.5), 19:11:05 (50%, =
m7.4), 19:15 pk m6.0
DMSP B5D1-3 78042A 10820 19:09 pk m6.0, 19:12:05 (50%, m7.7), =
19:17:20 (horiz, still 50%+)
Iridium 38 97069E 25043 19:12:30 (horiz, 50%+), 19:14:20 (90%, =
m10.1),
19:14:55 (dimmest, m12.0), 19:15:25 (90%, =
m9.9),
19:17:35 (50%, m7.0), 19:20 pk m5.2, =
19:22:30 flare m1.2!
The other satellites that I haven't had time to process yet are:
Cosmos 521 R/B (72074B)
Cosmos 1271 r (81046B)
Cosmos 1603 r4 (84106B)
Meteor 2-17 r (88005B)
Iridium 43 (97069A)
Cosmos 2328 r (96009G)
Meteor 2-7 r (81043B)
Cosmos 1238 r (81003B)
Iridium 42 (97077A)
Cosmos 1538 (84019A)
Cosmos 1697 r (85097B)
Meteor 1-16 (74011A)
Landsat 4 (82072A)