STS-98 Lunar Transit During Ascent?

From: George S. Williams (sterling@exis.net)
Date: Fri Feb 02 2001 - 19:01:14 PST

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    Using the STS-88 SkyMap .trj file posted by Rick Baldridge at-
 
        http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/Jun-2000/0308.html

with a map time of 18:11:00EST and a long/lat of -75.7/+35.2 (just west of
Cape Hatteras, NC), the shuttle transits the moon at 18:18:52EST, about 8
minutes into the ascent. I'm not sure how close the actual trajectory will
be to this file, but observers in eastern NC might be in for a rare sight.
I've placed a screen shot at-

        http://www.websterling.com/tmp/transit.jpg

At my location, SE Virginia, MECO is well below the moon. The only special
addition to my watching the shuttle is a magnitude -8 flare of Iridium49
that occurs about 30 degrees above the shuttle at about 6 minutes after
launch! Screen shot at-

        http://www.websterling.com/tmp/02072001.jpg

George
Wakefield, VA 
The Peanut Capital of the World (or so it says on the sign!)
36.99N 76.95W ~35m



        Sterling Web Services
         www.websterling.com
       1119 Terrapin Swamp Road
       Wakefield, VA 23888-3103
            (757) 899-2604

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