Re: Unknown flasher

Alphonse POUPLIER (alphonse.pouplier@skynet.be)
Wed, 16 Jul 1997 13:49:54 +0200 (MET DST)

>  Tonight (the 15th) I saw a rather bright flasher with the naked 
>eye.  When I first saw it, it was just southeast of being directly 
>overhead.  I grabbed my 7x50 binos and saw that it had a 
>bright-dim-bright-black pattern that was very stable in its repeat 
>cycle.  In my estimation, the brights were easily at or above 
>magnitude 2.   It was about 2 to 2.5 seconds between bright flashes 
>(roughly measured with my wristwatch).  I lost it just up from 
>Casseopeia; considering its track, it would have passed near the moon 
>and would have passed through Casseopeia.  It was about 9:37pm to 
>9:39pm local CDT, or 02:37 - 02:39 UTC.  I live at 38.47N, 90.63W.  
>Can someone help me identify it?

Could it be this?

Place: ESSAI Latitude: +3828  Longitude:26923
----------------------------------------------------------------------
COSMOS 887 R   1 09638U 76128B    Ref.Date: 1997 175.22861235 = 24 / 6 / 1997
n=13.77348309  Height.:   948-   992 Km     Magnit.St.:  5.5

15/ 7/97   Az.:  Alt.: Sun:    Hgt.:  Dist.:  Magn.: Alpha:  Delta: Const.:
 2h25m 0s  351d     3d -10d   961Km   3330Km    7.4    5.0h  +53.3d    Cam
 2h26m 0s  350d     7d -11d   960Km   2950Km    7.1    5.1h  +57.1d    Cam
 2h27m 0s  350d    11d -11d   959Km   2574Km    6.8    5.4h  +61.4d    Cam
 2h28m 0s  349d    17d -11d   957Km   2205Km    6.5    5.8h  +66.4d    Cam
 2h29m 0s  347d    24d -11d   956Km   1850Km    6.1    6.7h  +72.0d    Cam
 2h30m 0s  344d    34d -11d   955Km   1519Km    5.7    9.0h  +76.6d    Cam
 2h31m 0s  339d    47d -11d   954Km   1235Km    5.2   12.4h  +72.2d    Dra
 2h32m 0s  322d    65d -12d   954Km   1038Km    4.8   14.2h  +55.6d    UMa
 2h33m 0s  249d    75d -12d   953Km    982Km    4.7   14.9h  +31.8d    Boo
 2h34m 0s  201d    59d -12d   952Km   1089Km    4.9   15.3h   +8.6d    Ser
 2h35m 0s  190d    42d -12d   951Km   1321Km    5.4   15.6h   -8.9d    Lib
 2h36m 0s  186d    30d -12d   951Km   1625Km    5.8   15.7h  -21.2d    Sco
 2h37m 0s  184d    21d -12d   950Km   1966Km    6.2   15.8h  -30.0d    Lup
 2h38m 0s  182d    15d -12d   950Km   2327Km    6.6   15.9h  -36.7d    Lup
 2h39m 0s  181d    10d -13d   949Km   2699Km    6.9   16.0h  -42.0d    Sco
 2h40m 0s  181d     5d -13d   949Km   3078Km    7.2   16.1h  -46.4d    Nor

My pleasure, avec plaisir,  Alphonse
alphonse.pouplier@skynet.be
URL:http://users.skynet.be/alphonse/
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