Robert Holdsworth reported: > At 0855 UTC (not timed to the exact second as I was did not > want to take my eyes off it for a second!) in a clear > Souitheastern sky I observed through binoculars a diffuse > bright green glow, roughly triangular but elongated in > shape and which faded to a white colour then dissipated by > about 0857 It moved slowly in an easterly direction with a > slight swing to the north. > Hard to estimate magnitude with such a diffuse object, but I > would guess that it got at least to mag 2, and at peak was > visible without assistance. > > This corresponds exactly to the timing and orientation of > MES-2 from the > NROL launch, which is what I was looking out for, though I > had thought it > might be too low and too far to the east to be visible. > > Estimated position around RA 11h 40m to RA 12: 50 and Dec 34 44. Are you certain the Dec was +34:40 and not -34:40? Seems very likely that you saw the MES2 burn, which was predicted to pass near RA 12:50 Dec -34:40 at the time and site of your observation. Congratulations! Can you estimate the observed elevation above the horizon at the time of the burn? Ted Molczan ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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