Re: STS 113 proximity to ISS (and Astra 1K)

From: Daniel Deak (dan.deak@sympatico.ca)
Date: Tue Dec 03 2002 - 00:51:54 EST

  • Next message: paul: "8305pg obs 03dec ~01h UT"

    Ted Molczan wrote:
    
    
    > For five minutes, I watched two brilliant points of light inhabited by humans race across the heavens.
    > 
    
    Hi Ted and list,
    
    
    Unfortunately, I could not observe this pass since I was out of town in a 
    classroom but under cloudy skies. My girlfriend managed to see the pair though 
    in Drummondville through a large gap in the clouds. Magnitude of ISS was 
    estimated at -3 with the Shuttle a bit dimmer. Very nice sight she told me.
    
    Monday morning, just before the clouds moved in, we woke up early to watch the 
    pass of Astra 1K at about 37 degrees elevation to the southwest at 10:48 UTC. 
    Its maximum brightness seen naked eye was right after shadow exit at mag. +2,5. 
    It then dimmed gradually due to phase angle and I followed it in my 20x80 until 
    it was too low on the horizon and too faint. No flashes were seen, its behavior 
    was steady. So I've seen both the rocket stage and the satellite from that 
    launch. Thursday I saw the rocket stage exactly 2 orbits before decay.
    
    Dan
    
    
    -- 
    Daniel Deak
    representant, projet spatial Starshine
    L'Avenir, Quebec
    
    COSPAR site 1747 : 45.7275°N, 72.3526°W, 191 m., UTC-4:00
    
    Site en francais sur les satellites:
    French-language satellite web site : http://www.obsat.com
    
    
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