Featured Satellite: C* 2228, PPAS

Walter Nissen (dk058@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Mon, 15 Dec 1997 10:51:04 -0500 (EST)

First, I want to state officially for the record that I am absolutely NOT 
annoyed that the only clear (well, partly clear) night in weeks was right 
at full Moon. 
 
Seriously, I recall that Bruce Watson has, at times, designated a 
particular satellite as "Satellite of the Month".  Somewhat in that 
spirit, I would like to call attention to Cosmos 2228, right now.  She is 
presently making fine evening passes for many SeeSat subscribers.  I 
observed and timed her last night while she was producing rather 
spectacular mag -1 flashes. 
 
Jay, I don't know what criteria you applied to judge her sister ship 
C* 1953 as suitable for VISUAL.TLE, but perhaps C* 2228 would qualify 
also.  She was giving off these very brief flashes at 12.37s intervals 
near culmination at only 55 degrees altitude.  Mostly she was 4th or 
invisible, with many intermediate flashes at roughly 3s intervals.  Later 
in the pass, the bright flashes were not seen, but fainter flashes, 
possibly at a different rate, continued. 
 
C* 2228 is a satellite which should be observed over as long an arc as 
possible, because, like her sister Tselinas, she often presents entirely 
different flash patterns during different parts of a pass; also different 
patterns at successive passes. 
 
2228 
1 22286U 92094A   97345.12393866 +.00000228 +00000-0 +31172-4 0 02128 
2 22286 082.5262 194.3315 0025844 169.4162 190.7598 14.73862734266733 
 
PPAS(beginning): 
Walter I. Nissen, Jr., CDP, dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu, 55 Barrett RD #808, 
Berea, OH 44017-1657, USA, 440-243-4980, -81d 51.823', 41d 22.413', 256m, 7x35 
92- 94 A 97-12-15  0:28:20.1 WN   49.5  .4   4  12.37 F, irreg, sm, C* 2228 
 
Cheers. 
 
Walter Nissen                   dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu 
-81.8637, 41.3735, 256m elevation 
 
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