Using the revised Shuttle Trajectory Data found at: <A HREF="http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/orbit/SHUTTLE/SVPOST.html"> http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/orbit/SHUTTLE/SVPOST.html> which assumes a 2:40 p.m. EDT launch time on Saturday, I have generated a preliminary viewing schedule for the Shuttle Discovery over the Greater New York Area. For the Saturday evening passes, I used the two-line mean element set #2: Jul 16 23:43:19.843 UTC 1 99114U 05198.02036377 .00189937 00000-0 37621-3 0 9028 2 99114 51.6475 108.6866 0027177 331.2562 28.7128 16.23809676 56 For the Sunday evening passes, I used the two-line mean element set #6: Jul 16 23:43:19.843 UTC 1 99114U 05198.88226355 .00189937 00000-0 37621-3 0 9052 2 99114 51.6435 103.9230 0032695 338.5142 21.4672 16.22588515 194 -------------------------------------------------------- On Saturday, on orbit #5, Discovery should first appear at 8:56:20 p.m. EDT, 10-degrees high in the NNW. It should reach a maximum altitude of 24.5- degrees in the NNE at 8:58:10 p.m. At this point its range distance from New York will be 325 miles. It will then descend to an altitude of 10-degrees, in the E at 9:00 p.m. Maximum illumination by sunlight of the orbiter is predicted to be 90.8 percent. This should be a very favorable pass! On Saturday, on orbit #6, Discovery should first appear at 10:28:55 p.m. EDT, 10-degrees high in the W. Just 17 seconds later, at 10:29:12 p.m., at an altitude of 11.6-degrees, in the WSW it will duck into the Earth's shadow and be rendered invisible. Maximum illumination by sunlight of the orbiter is predicted to be only 32.7 percent. To say the least, this is a very unfavorable pass. ----------------------------------------------------------- On Sunday, on orbit #21, Discovery should first appear at 8:34:56 p.m. EDT, 10-degrees high in the NW. It should reach a maximum altitude of 27.6- degrees in the NNE at 8:36:51 p.m. At this point its range distance from New York will be 302 miles. It will then descend to an altitude of 10-degrees, in the E at 8:38:46 p.m. Maximum illumination by sunlight of the orbiter is predicted to be 94.1 percent. NOTE: Sunset in New York City occurs at 8:24 p.m. As such, evening (civil) twilight will be in progress making the Shuttle difficult to see on this pass. On Sunday, on orbit #22, Discovery should first appear at 10:07:46 p.m. EDT, 10-degrees high in the W. Just 56 seconds later, at 10:08:42 p.m., at an altitude of 13.4-degrees, in the SW it will duck into the Earth's shadow and be rendered invisible. Maximum illumination by sunlight of the orbiter is predicted to be 47.7 percent. This is a rather unfavorable pass. STS-114 is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Monday. -- joe rao ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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