Galileo IUS low fast passes

From: Ed Cannon (ecannon@mail.utexas.edu)
Date: Thu Feb 05 2004 - 23:22:08 EST

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    The Galileo IUS is currently making low, fast passes over the 
    southern USA every few evenings, maybe visible as far north as 
    latitude 40 (?).  We saw it pass rapidly by the Moon several
    nights ago, in twilight.  Using fresh elements is recommended.
    
    IUS R/B(1)
    1 20299U 89084C   04036.10988161  .00195739  80904-6  99273-3 0  8845
    2 20299  34.0933 327.3204 2397948  69.8995 314.2243 10.79954953251835
    
    Olympus 1 is a tumbling geosynch that's currently moving slowly
    towards European visibility.  I don't think it's known to flash
    brightly; I've only seen it with Mike's telescope.  Right now 
    I don't have its very asymmetrical flash profile (two to three
    minutes, if memory serves, with a flash and a broad maximum 
    separated by only about 30 seconds).  One page online says it's 
    one of the unluckiest satellites ever to reach orbit, and is 
    even known (?) to have been hit by a Perseid meteor:
    
    http://www.selkirkshire.demon.co.uk/analoguesat/olympus.html
    
    OLYMPUS 1
    1 20122U 89053A   04035.84672700 -.00000034  00000-0  10000-3 0  6346
    2 20122   8.4153  51.5391 0011987 114.4554 245.7648  1.01367700 38062
    
    Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexas.edu - Austin, Texas, USA
    
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