Bright flashes from Molniya 3-42

From: Mike McCants (mmccants@io.com)
Date: Fri Aug 13 2004 - 13:52:46 EDT

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    While looking for Cosmos 2217 last night, I was startled by very
    bright flashes from an object that I later identified as Molniya 3-42.
    
    The flashes were magnitude 2 or 3 with a period of 7.5 seconds
    as seen in a 12x80 finder scope.  The Molniya was about magnitude
    10.5 between flashes in a 20cm telescope.
    
    About 3:31, both objects were in the same field of view about
    1/2 degree apart as the Cosmos (magnitude 9-10 varying slowly)
    overtook the Molniya.
    
    Molniya 3-42
    1 22178U 92067A   04218.72890936  .00000000  00000-0  10000-3 0  8402 
    2 22178  63.8335 103.3614 7165971 255.0449  21.8438  2.00617076 86530 
    Cosmos 2217
    1 22189U 92069A   04218.76720166  .00000051  00000-0  00000+0 0   242 
    2 22189  66.9918 102.2035 6704475 233.3214  44.9342  2.00974483 86420 
    
    Lat 30.314 N Long 97.866 W    2004 Aug 13 Times are UT
    
    22178 Molniya 3-42   92 67A    19 M 4.5
     Mag Hrs Min Alt Azi    Hgt  Range    R  A    Dec
     9.8   3  30  76 242   5795   5862  17 31.5  23.1
     9.5   3  35  71 215   5069   5187  17 45.5  14.4
    
    22189 Cosmos 2217    92 69A    17 M 4.5
     Mag Hrs Min Alt Azi    Hgt  Range    R  A    Dec
     9.1   3  30  76 244   4376   4437  17 29.7  23.5
     8.7   3  35  67 204   3737   3895  17 51.1   8.8
    
    Mike McCants
    Austin, TX
    
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