While walking home, and looking for #23596 EORSAT, which may be lowered to MM=15.85 any week now, I happened to see what must have been #24706, the decaying Bion debris piece C. It was bright, about +2 and steady, when it passed above eps UMa, right on place an only 6 seconds early at 17:45:00 UT wrt. this elset : The latest set = 1 24706U 96073C 97062.92161377 .00744820 85370-5 24437-3 0 1138 2 24706 62.7993 337.8066 0041824 110.9637 249.5955 16.23009337 11113 So there is hope that it can survive until Mar.09/10, as SatEvo predicts. It is now entering shadow SB at 59N, leaving SB at 59S. On Monday, it may be 50N and 62 S. I did not see #23596 - is it already lowered ? I'll try to get new OIG elsets. PS. For once I am not latitude-challenged. I was able to spot Hale-Bopp with the naked eye, at 15 deg. alt., above a hot-dog-stand at our local bus-stop/shopping centre, at 18:25 local time. ------------------------------------------------------------ -- b_gimle@algonet.se +46-8-7428086 (home) -- -- 59.22371 N, 18.22857 E AND member of : -- -- http://www.algonet.se/~b_gimle seesat-l / seesat-d -- -- bjorn@tt-tech.se +46-8-59095783 (office)-- ------------------------------------------------------------