Frank Reed wrote: > KFetter wrote: > "Boy, this one perigee is sure low. > MOLNIYA 3-44 1691 x 81 km > 1 22633U 93025A 04024.35340688 .64355414 10539-4 59716-3 0 6758 > 2 22633 63.4445 325.0802 1107602 246.2651 101.9556 14.02263398 80987" > > Wow. Is that low enough to produce a visible glow in the thin > air at that altitude? Yes it is. Stephen Bolton observed this phenomenon in 1996. Here is the URL of his report and that of my analysis: http://satobs.org/seesat/Aug-1996/0151.html http://satobs.org/seesat/Aug-1996/0153.html Too bad the perigee of MOLNIYA 3-44 is not well placed for observation. Using the above elset, I compute: latitude of perigee = asin(sin(inc) * sin(arg perigee)) = asin(sin(63.4) * sin(246.3)) = -55 = 55 deg S > And it's dropping fast. The TLE on Heavens-Above is from five > weeks ago and has the apogee above 22,000km: It is a victim of the luni-solar perturbations that eventually destroy most Molniya and GTO orbits, by pushing their perigee deep into the upper atmosphere. Solar radiation pressure produces similar effects on objects having a very low density. Ted Molczan ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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