Re: USA 129, the Keystone, and an UNID

EricVondra@aol.com
Mon, 30 Jun 1997 22:04:33 -0400 (EDT)

Robert Sheaffer wrote:

<< 05:11:00      Eastbound Mag. 4 satellite, believed to be USA 129
               (#24680) moving just south of the keystone of
               Hercules...the actual position of the satellite was approx 13
              degrees south of predicted position>>

This could help explain why I haven't been able to spot USA 129 in the last
five tries (using the same element set), although I was looking away from the
binoculars periodically to see if it was somewhere else. Unfortunately this
was the featured satellite for my astronomy club this month...oops!  Maybe
I'll give them ADEOS next month.

For Bruno: The "Hercules Keystone" consists of Pi, Eta, Epsilon and Zeta
Herculis, so called due to the similarity to the keystone (topmost stone) in
an arch structure. (The Keystone was featured in my club's Challenge Question
for this month. Oh well, 0 for 2.)

As for the UNID, I couldn't find this one in the Molczan elements:

Observing location: approx 41 N 80 W, elevation 200m
Date: 6-29-97
Time 0404 UT - passing Gamma Coronae Borealis (RA 15h40.6m Dec +26d27m)
        0412 UT - passing Epsilon Coronae Borealis (RA 15h55.5m Dec +27d01m)
        0425 UT - (approx RA 16h25m Dec +29d00m)
        (1950 coordinates)
Satellite was approximately mag 11.5 and steady, moving slowly eastward. Came
across this one in 180x while observing Gamma CrB in 4.5-inch scope. Any
ideas?

Eric Vondra
Pittsburgh PA (The "Keystone State")