John Locker wrote: >Give me the sky and I'll give you the pictures Greg :O))) >We have had precious few evenings where the visibility below 30 ( max >elevation of the arc here ) degrees has been useable . >Noticeable has been a thick haze at these levels , even though higher >elevations have on the odd evening provided good seeing. >Perhaps the next few days of storms will clear the low level >mists/haze/pollution for a short time giving me chance to take a look in the >ten to forty degrees west area. >John Hi John Many thanks for your input. Yes additional observations, especially if in the form of time/position (RA/Dec) would be very welcome so that revised/ improved TLE's could be generated so its a little more than just getting a photo of the object. Peter Wakelin is the only UK observer for these satellites and is doing an excellant job but Im sure the "more the merrier". What has always puzzled me is that although the USA area is perhaps the most technologically advanced part of the earth it has produced very few positional satellite observers. One would expect California, for example, to be a prime area for observers but they just are not there. Another anomaly, to me anyway, is why most of the US positional observers are in Texas. Did Pres.Johnson know something when he had the Johnson Spacecraft Center setup in Houston ? Another anomaly is why the UK, with its atrocious weather, contains the highest percentage of optical observers. Still another anomaly is why Russia etc has produced no amateur observers that I can recall off-hand. They are now running perhaps the most vigorous and concentrated network for geo objects - the ESA#10 report is mainly based on their work - but no amateur observers! I can understand the situation with Africa and South America and would have expected Australasia to be in a somewhat better position but I cant help but get the feeling we are basically a dying breed. Most of the real active observers are in their late years-when they depart for a different plane where are their successors? There are certainly no prospects in my part of the world.... Cheers Greg ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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