In message <n1321814337.74613@cpqm.saic.com>, ROB MATSON <ROBERT.D.MATSO N@cpmx.saic.com> writes >Leo Wikholm asked about a possible reentry observation from western >Finland on 18 Feb 1998 17:00 UTC. Alan probably has a more complete >list of decays, but I show two on that date. One was Mir Deb MF >(#25036), though this is not a candidate since its inclination was too >low. The other is STEP 2 Pegasus Deb DN (#24065). Its inclination >was certainly high enough -- if anyone has TLEs for this object close >to the date of its demise, I can check it. --Rob The final four elsets for the Mir Deb MF have epochs later than February 18 17:00 UTC. My evolution implied re-entry between 23:00 and 00:00 (rounded to February 19.0 in my SatEvo decay list #48). But as Rob points out, the low inclination is enough to rule it out of contention for a decay over/near Finland. The final elset for the Pegasus debris object was: Pegasus deb DN 361 x 312 km 1 24065U 94029DN 98048.80959377 .34395161 00000-0 14420+0 0 5952 2 24065 82.0844 345.7996 0035911 157.5071 211.1681 15.77883917 87677 which SatEvo decays at February 18.03 (~00:40 UTC). In fact, a fit though earlier elsets suggests that the above elset overestimates the drag and a more realistic one for this epoch is Pegasus deb DN 364 x 327 km 1 24065U 94029DN 98048.80809338 .16288915 10526+0 10918+0 0 95940 2 24065 82.1054 345.8301 0027492 140.6910 219.5088 15.74654949 87673 leading to decay at February 18.28 (~06:40 UTC). It is very hard to keep it aloft until 17:00 UTC, but if were decaying northbound at 17:00 I think its orbital plane would have taken it over Greenland, too far to the west of Finland. I know of no other decay candidates for this event. Alan -- Alan Pickup | COSPAR site 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl Edinburgh | Home: alan@wingar.demon.co.uk +44 (0)131 477 9144 Scotland | SatEvo satellite page: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/