Hi, SZ-5 was sighted from 06:00 upto 06:02:35 of 10/15 in West Las Vegas. I'm totally new to the observation, but this is the third coumtry which ever has sent a human into space, I decided to have a try. Thanks to Ted and Sven, who gave me detailed observing data on the craft over Las Vegas. I used Ted's two line elements with Satbuster 1.6 and simulated severl times on 10/14, but I found the sky map with West/East opposite to the actual observing point is annoying. I also use Starrynight to have an actual mapping of the northern sky at that exact passing time (13:00 UTC). Printed the map drawing a passing line with time on it. Ajusted my watch to GMT time and went to bed. Las Vegas is almost clear everyday, so I needn't worry about weather, but the stars were dim. First I considered a telescope, then I figured my best chance was a binocular, which can move fast to survey the area since the Ted's elements were estimates and I'm such a novel. I got up 05:55 am maybe because I prepared too late (upto 2 am), and reached observing point at 05:57(12:57 UTC). Observing condition pretty bad, I even couldn't determine Polaris, most of the stars were hardly sighted by eyes. Luckly, my bi is a good one, I soon found the Big Dipper, determined Polaris, by the time it was already 06:00. I was afraid I might missed the craft, because that was the exact minute to seconds which Ted's and Sven's visible timing, though I have located the paasage. Even half munutes difference in estimates, the observation was doomed. Just that moment, I saw a fast(in my bi) moving star traveling from west to east just to the left-down side of Polaris. The object was relatively bright(yellowish white), almost as bright as the Big Dipper, but smaller. In the bi, it looked like as fast as an airplane, but size was small like a star, just a moving star. it was going towards East aiming under the handle of the Dipper. I followed it until 06:02:35 when it disappeared in the halo of city light (unfortunately, I'm in the Light City). What I observed is that, first, SZ-5 was lauched right on time(the Chinese confirmed it was 09:00 exact), and Ted/Sven estimates were very precise, almost to the seconds, made me such a new horn successful in a not-so-good observing condition.(best El about 25 degree). Thanks again to Sven and Ted for their personal help. Bill ----------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from SeeSat-L, send a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@satobs.org List archived at http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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