Cosmos 1933 + other obs
Jim Varney (jvarney@mail2.quiknet.com)
Mon, 18 Mar 1996 22:03:18 +0000
Here are a few recent observations.
79- 30 B 96-03-14 04:34 JEV 100.0 0.3 10 10.0 AA, +5->inv
91- 13 B 96-03-16 03:22 JEV 110.0 1 2 55 MM, +4.5->inv, dtm
90-111 B 96-03-18 03:17 JEV 103.5 0.3 10 10.35 AA
88- 20 A 96-03-18 03:27 JEV 66.4 0.3 7 9.49 AF'_A,+4->inv
94- 41 B 96-03-18 03:36 JEV 87.5 0.3 3 29.2 AA, 4->9
The corresponding common names and USSPACECOM numbers:
79- 30 B 11327 Cosmos 1092 R/B
91- 13 B 21131 Cosmos 2135 R/B
90-111 B 21015 Cosmos 2112 R/B
88- 20 A 18958 Cosmos 1933
94- 41 B 23180 Nadezhda 4 R/B
Comparing my observed flash periods with recent observations by others,
Cosmos 1092 R/B, Cosmos 2135 R/B, Cosmos 2112 R/B and Nadezhda 4 R/B are
all showing normal secular increases in flash period.
As others have noted, Cosmos 1933 is one wacky satellite. The previous
night, March 17 UT, was the first time I'd seen it. I was so taken aback by
its weird flash pattern that I got confused, lost count, and had to discard
the observation. For the observation on the 18th, it's a good thing I chose
the sharp flash to measure on -- during one of the flash cycles the
satellite dropped one of the "A" flashes and showed AF'__.
Even if you are not particularly interested in making flash timings, it's
worthwhile to see Cosmos 1933 just for the strobe-like sharp flash.
Good Passes,
Jim
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Jim Varney | 121^ 23' 54" W, 38^ 27' 28" N | Sacramento, CA
Civil Engineer | Elev. 31 ft. |jvarney@mail2.quiknet.com
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