In message <332F4743.49FD@coffs.net.au>, vince gardiner <vgardi@coffs.net.au> writes >bdort@freeway.net wrote: >> If you haven't found out yet, COSPAR is an acronym for >> "Committee on Space Research". Their web site is at: >> http://cospar.itodys.jussieu.fr:80/default.htm >> >> There is a link called "About COSPAR". It's address is: >> http://cospar.itodys.jussieu.fr:80/About/about.htm >> >> Here is a little paragraph from that page: >> >> "COSPAR is an interdisciplinary scientific organization >> concerned with international progress in all areas of >> scientific research carried out with space vehicles, >> rockets, and balloons." >> >I've seen reference to satellite COSPAR numbers > >> Maybe someone who lists "COSPAR Site #" in their signature >> could help us further. >> >That would be appreciated Point taken :-) Sorry - made a note to answer this if no-one else did, but been preoccupied with some unusually interesting decays in the past few days. The COSPAR site number identifies the location from which I do my observing. Including this number when reporting an observation allows someone analysing a set of observations made from different locations to index a table of site coordinates, rather than include the lat/long/height of the observer against each observation. No, I don't have a copy of the table. There are several references to COSPAR in Desmond King-Hele's excellent book "A Tapestry of Orbits". Alan -- Alan Pickup | COSPAR site 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl Edinburgh | Home: alan@wingar.demon.co.uk +44 (0)131 477 9144 Scotland | Royal Observatory: A.Pickup@roe.ac.uk +44 (0)131 668 8224