Hi - I just observed my first interplanetary spacecraft, Rosetta, from 0840 to 0925 UT March 4. It was magnitude 11.4 in the 12.5-inch reflector, about 1 magnitude brighter than the predictions posted on the ESA web site. Its motion was easy to perceive, especially when the spacecraft made a rapidly changing equilateral triangle with two similarly bright stars. Here's the specs from NASA's JPL Horizons site: HORIZONS Generated Ephemeris Target Body: Rosetta (Spacecraft) Observer Location: 105°24'00.0''W, 39°24'00.0''N, 2730 m Date__(UT)__HR:MN R.A.__(a-apparent)__DEC Azi_(a-appr)_Elev delta S- O-T /r 2005-Mar-04 09:00 10 49 39.87 +04 03 35.9 224.5871 45.7606 0.0015076613 176.4458 /T cheers, Rich Keen ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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